Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1905-08-11
MANY GROWERS ATTEND
noP Men of Two Counties Meet in
independence and Discuss
Matters of Interest.

OASCuSS
Matters of Interest.
Clean picking" will be the watch
word OF the Oregon hopgrowers for
tne harvest season Of 1905, soon to be-
gin. Not only will clean picking be
insisted upon, but the growers will
also exercise especial care in curing
and baling their crops, observing as
closely as possible, the laws of Ore
gon and the requirements of the
buyers. Such was the decision reached
by the growers of Polk and Marion
counties at the big meeting held in
independence on Monday afternoon.
The Independence meeting was the
largest gathering Of growers ever
held IN the state, eighty-five individual
growers representing every hop dis
trlct in the two counties being in
attendance. The deliberations were
marked by harmony and good feeling
throughout, and the discussions
covered wide range of subjects of
interest to hop men. Every grower
present seemed imbued with a desire
to turn out the very choicest product
possible and meet every reasonable
requirement of the buyers to the end
that the highest market prices may be
obtained and the demand for choice
Oregons increased.
E. @. Kirkpatrick, of Dallas, was
chosen to preside over the meeting,
and Walter Lyon, of Independence,
was called to the secretary's desk. In
taking the chair, Mr. Kirkpatrick
outlined briefly the object of the meet
ing and complimented the growers for
showing their interest in the welfare of
the industry by turning out in such
large numbers. He expressed gratifi-
cation for the opportunity afforded the
growers and buyers to meet and dis
cuss matters of mutual interest, and
declared that such a meeting could
not prove other than beneficial to all
concerned. He called attention to the
growing complaints of dirty hops and
improper baling from the English
dealers, and stated that all buyers for
these houses had been warned that in
future all shipments of dirty hops
would be set off on the dock subject to
the buyers orders.
Other speakers following Mr.. Kirk
patrick were: H. J. Ottenheimer
r. E. Williams, Conrad Krebs, Hon.
L. L. Patterson, j. E. Hubbard, J. F.
Groves, r. D. Cooper, J. G. Morrison,
w. W. Percival, Fl. B. Plummer, @. A.
Mclaughlin, D. B. Taylor, Sam Orr,
Verd Hill, Mart Scrafford, 1. F.
Yoakum and G. L. Fitchard All the
speakers are heavy growers, repre-
senting from 20 to 600 acres of hops
each and being numbered among the
most successful growers in the state.
All agreed that the only fair and proper
way to pick hops is by weight and
earnestly urged the adoption of that
system. Some Of the speakers ex-
planned that, in Difference to their
pickers' wishes, they had already
agreed to pick by the box, but stated
that each box would have to weigh so
pounds, in order to conform to the law
passed by the last Oregon Legislature.
This requirement virtually amounts
to the same thing as picking by
weight.
Another point upon which the
speakers agreed was that the hops
must be picked clean. The complaint
of the English buyers as to dirty hops
was admitted to be just, and a united
effort will be made this year to keep
the product free from stems, leaves
and other foreign matter. In former
years clean picking was a great
feature in Pacific hops and materially
assisted in their sale, and the growers
will endeavor this year to place none
but clean hops on the market
Another important action OF the
meeting was the pledge of the growers
to use no more cloth than is actually
necessary in baling. On all hops sold
in England the actual weight Of the
cloth is allowed the purchaser, and
heretofore the buyers have allowed
the grower seven pounds. This year
only five pounds will be taken. This
allowance conforms to the law passed
bv the last Oregon Legislature, which
reads as follows:
Section l. That hereafter in all
sales and transfers Of hops there shall
be allowed and deducted as tare nVe
pounds per bale and no more. rive
wards of baling cloth is the maximum
Quantity to be used in making the
hale and the standard weight OF each
yard of baling cloth is hereby liked at
{H-ontv-for1r ounces. Any vendor OF
hons nsing heavier sacking than that
s,Sdcified i'm this section, or using any
eTfraneOus matter in the baling there
of shall have the same deducted as
additional tare.
After each grower had been given
an opportunity to express his opinion
= .1.;oo+s under discussion, a