Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-03-04
BETTER
PICKING
DEMANDED
Some Good Suggestions for
Getting Better Results in
Hops

Herman Klaber & Co., Tacoma,
Wash, sends the Journal the following
letter of date February "a, and its sug.
gestions are very important if Oregon
is to gain the highest reputation for
turning off a choice hop crop:
We addressed a communication to you
sometime ago on the subject of poor
picking of the Oregon hops the last
season and quoted extract of letter from
one of the largest firms Of factors in
London, and since then we have had
several further communications from
London on the same subject.
For the benefit of the Oregon hop
growers we beg to repeat the valuable
advice and suggestions of one of the
very largest houses in England,
Messrs. Wood, Field & Hanbury, who
are one of the principal buyers of Pa
cific coast hops on the other side. This
firm handles every year large quaint
ties of Oregon hops, and their sugges,
tion, therefore, is essentially of the ut.
most Importance, and we therefore un.
hestatingly confirm their advice to the
growers.
The letter referred to is .of date
February 8, and reads substantially as
follows:
"We have to write you on very i'm,
portant matter as to the future trade
here for Pacific coast hops. We refer
to the picking and packing of large
proportion of the Oregon crop this sea-
son in which large quantity of leaves,
| stems and other eXtraneous matter
could be found. There has been this
account, and can say that as much as
10 per cent of extraneous matter has
been tound-perhaps ; per cent on an
average, or probably more.
"Our brewers in England object very
much to this, and unless next year 5
crop is much better picked and handled,
we can foresee that it will prejudice
our buyers here against your Oregon
hops.
owe understand that the chief cause
of this has been that a great many
of the hops are contracted for in ad.
vance at fixed price and that couse,
quently the growers have no interest
in seeing that they are well picked.
Should this system Of picking and
baling prevail in future seasons, the
Oregon growers will doubtless find it
impossible to interest English buyers in
their product, and the objections named
should be made known to all parties
concerned in this mater. We shall GER,
tainly in future refuse to accept any
hops which are not more carefully
picked.
"We have had no cause to complain
of Washington hops the past season,
and unless the Oregon growers are more
careful, Washingtons will no doubt find
preference with our brewers"
The advice which we have quoted
above is self-eXplanatory, hence we
have nothing further to add; suffice il
to say that it bohooyes every individual
hop grower of Oregon to be guided by
the suggestions named. Heretofore
Oregon hops have always found favor
with the English brewers, and often
command higher prices than any other
hops exported to that market but nm.
less the Oregon growers eliminate the
leaves, stems, and sweeping from
their hops, the reputation of Oregons
in the London market will be greatly
impaired, and it stands your growers
in hand to nurse the London business
when it is considered that without the
support from England the past season
our hops would not have been worth