Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-01
NEW YORK HOP CROP.
One Staple Helped Along by the Dry
Weather.

Weather.
The dry weath her of the present summer
has been most favorable for the growth
of hops in western New York, where the
crop promises to be one OF the finest and
largest harvested in several years, said a
leading hop farmer in Madison county n.
Y, to the writer day or two ago. THE
principal hop-growing centers In New York
state are Otsego. Madison. Schoharie and
Greene. Here the hops now ripe and
ready for picking, and the crop Will be
gathered in three or four weeks. To pick,
press and bag the hops that are raised on
the 5000 or 1000 acres of land, that are
az present devoted to the cultivation of
the plant in this state, is no easy task, and
between 5000 and 5000 men, women and
children will be required to perform the
work These hands who are merely hop
pickerS, come from all parts of the state
They are paid from 50 cents to 81 day.
according TO the number of bushels OF hops
they are able to pick during the twelve
working hours of the day
The hop farms vary in extent from FIVE
TO twenty acres, although an average vine
yard Is about eight acres In extent. 1t
takes two weeks to clear the vines on an
eight-acre tract and a little calculation
will tell you how long Ii is necessary to
work to remove all the hops from twenty
acre farm. When the hops are ripe they
must be picked soon as possible or they
will become worthless, at least of much in
ferior quality, which means loss to the
farmer. The poles on a hop farm
perfectly set at right angles that you may
look down uniform avenue of overhang-
ing vines in whatever direction you turn
your eyes. This exactitude is less for ap-
pearance sake than 1t is for the convenience
OF the picking parties, for a vineyard is ar
ranged in small Settings'-sx rows OF
poles make a setting to a family or party
or pickers. As one setting is picked the
workers move to another. But before the
DtckerS me hO
called 'carvers, cut the vines with jack
knives third of the way up the poles. The
vines are then pulled from the poles and
carried to the pickers
These hands then strip off the hops and
put them into long wooden boxes divided
into four compartments and holding eight
bushels.
-Four pickers work by each box. a COM
partment being allotted to each. The num-
Der OF boxes picked by a person in q day
depends upon the abundance of the hops,
their size and the ability of the picker.
The general average Is from two to five
boxes per day. Every picker has a box
tender, whose duty It is to keep the picker
well supplied with vines. When hop box
Is full two pickers must carry 1t, by the
wooden handles that are nailed to either
side, to the end Of the row. where men
are employed putting the hops into bags.
The box is light and so are the hops,
therefore the task is not so arduous it
seems. This proceeding Is kept up through
the day, and after the carriers, the pickers
and box tenders have finished with one of
the avenues, that seemed a bower of foliage
when they began, the rows look as bare
as II a swarm Of locusts had descended
upon them. When bagged the hops are
taken to the cast houses. where they are
dried and compressed by machines into
long, stout bags, ready for the market
The hops generally require some little
care and attention to secure perfect fer
tilization Of the flowers. the plants being
divicious-that Is. the male and female flow
ers growing on separate plants. The male
or pollen bearing ones. are. therefore, fire.
quently grown with the female as to Sc
cure a perfect appropriation; for. where
there is an abundant supply of pollen the
hops are more plentifully produced, and a
finer quality Is the result.
MANY varieties of hops are known in
commerce. but the principal kinds in cult
walton are 'Geldings,' White Vines
Grapes and 'Colgates.' The first OF these
are of the choicest flower and are used
chiefly for brewing pale and strong ales
White Vines are also of fine flower, and
of great strength, and are used for keep
ing beers. Grapes are used for a similar
purpose, while Colgates are usually OF
coarser. stronger flavor, and are used most
ly for the rougher kinds of ales and por-
ter Hops are worth from Il cents to 10
cents a pound. according to the supply and
demand for the product