The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-07-19

can stock up or "cover," to try to
make growers believe that a bump
err crop and low prices are imminent
The best informed man in the
trade knows no more what will be
days than does the novice.
All the growers can do Is to look
the situation over and Judge for
themselves. But why should a
grower feel less sanguine Of good
prices now than last season?
Have we not had three years of
good prices and have not the pre-
dictions of good prices been borne
out during the last three years?
Have not the croakers and "ca-
lamity howlers" been just as strenu-
GUS In their representations during
former years as now?
In November, 1908. did they not
drive prices down from 26 cents to
Is cents within two weeks? And did
that prevent hops going to % cents
again before February? In July.
1902, dealers were offering IS and
IA cents for hops. They predicted
an overproduction. The 1902 crop
sold as high as &c cents.
And now why all this talk about
the tremendous crops we are grow
ing the world over? Merely for eff
feet. Many thousand bales of 1905
hops are already contracted by deal
ers. They must buy them, and the
time to get them cheap will be dur
ing the next thirty days. And the
only way for cheap hops to come is
for the growers to be scared into be-
lieving the crop will be overwhelm-
ing.
In fact. the whole buying fraterni-
ty are at this moment running a
bluff" on the growing interests.
Will the bluff work? My personal
opinion is that it will not. do not
believe many growers will put their
1905 nops out of their hands at low
prices until they know what the con-
ditions really will be in September.
as this will be the earliest time when
the crop outlook can be accurately
known. II hops should be as low as
Is to 16 cents, England will jump
in and by from 100000 to 100000
bales to stow away in their ware
houses, against the possibility of
future short crops. Brewers in
England are just longing for the
chance to lay up great surplus of
a twelve months supply, as they had
in 1S94-1S9S. If the time ever
comes that they can buy Pacific
at Is cents they will not haggle for
lower prices, but will buy all they
find room to store.
The idea that hops may bring 10
or ~ cents this season is absolutely
ridiculous, and a man must be very
weak who could believe such a thing.
But" the dealers say, look at the
big stocks of 19O4's held on the
coast Twelve thousand bales more
than last year"
Yes, but what Oh that? Last year
the hops were in dealers and brew
ers hands. This year they are in
growers hands. There is not over
one months supply of hops for the
United States held on the Pacific
coast.
1t will be three months yet before
1905 hops can go into the copper.
Why should holders be afraid Of
having thirty days supply on hand?
Every one admits New York state
will have 10000 bales less than last
year. California will have not to ex-
coed $4,000 bales more--probably
90 .O0O-Washington and Oregon
will at best hardly grow more than
last season, and the chances are that
England and the continent will not
grow more than last year. They
may, and again they may grow even
much less. AS for Oregon. the con-
ditions there are very serious. The
hop crop of Oregon and Washington
Is threatened with irreparable dam
age from lice and mold.
On uJly had the following tele-
gram from Salem: weather un-
settled; cold. cloudy. Vermin null
tipIyinp aIarminply Honey dew