Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-08-14
MARION
COUNTY
HOPS
Short Yield on High Lands
and Where Cultivation
Was Neglected

| acres. There is little or no actua
increase in acreage over last year.
but about 1000 acres came into full
bearing for the first time this year
that produced nothing last year.
The condition of the growing crop
at present, on up lands, owing to the
long draught and continued heat. is
not good. The yield is being cur
tailed, especially in yards where the
crop was not sufficiently cultivated
In the yards in bottom lands,
along the rivers. the hops are look
Ing well. These yards as a rule are
owned by large growers, who make
a speciality of hop growing and do
not slight their work. In these
yards the yield is not being cut
down to any noticeable extent.
In what is known as Missouri Bot
toms. about 8 miles south of Salem,
directly opposite the town of Indepen
dence, are located what is probably
the best hops in Marion county.
There are about $50 acres in this
neighborhood, every acre of which is
good for one ton of dried hops per
acre this season.
The Percival, Fennell, Ottenheimer
yards have hops, the root of which
were put in the ground in the spring
OF 1905, which will yield one ton
of dried hops per acre. This is con-
sidered a phenomenal yield for a
yearling yard; yet these same yards
produced an overage of 1000 pounds
per acre last year. which was the
same season the roots were set out
This section is considered the best
hop land in Oregon.
George Rose has a yard that will
yield 1000 bales; Henry j. Often
heimer, 1000 bales; Percival and
Grigsby, 600 bales; Graves, 400
bales; Fennell, 200 bales; Kutch.
200. bales; Mix. 400 bales and a
number of smaller yards.
But the yield in this section this
year is no criterion to judge the
crop of the whole state by. Missouri
Bottoms always produces a good crop
and there is never any trouble to
get .pickers here, as the picking is
good and the season is long and a
full days work is always insured.
The crop in Marion county is esti-
mated in round numbers at $4,000
bales, as against a like amount last
year; the new acreage being just
about enough to offset the bad eff.
fects of the dry weather and poor
cultivation.
The crop is on time and the pick
ing will begin from September
l to September s.
The growth is smooth and even
and the prospects for fine quality
Of hops is excellent. If the growers
pick their hops clean, and dry them
there is no reason why
Marion county should not produce
as good hops this year as were ever
grown in Oregon.
All the larger yards will pay a
uniform price of fifty cents a box
for picking. H. J. Ottenheimer said
today that he would pay so cents
and would insure a full days work
and work every day from the time
picking begins until the close of the
season. He is having no trouble in
securing pickers.
Every year the same cry is print
I'd in some of the Oregon newspap- |
ers that there will be no pickers and !
hat a part of the crop will be wasted |
IN that account: yet no one can re-
member of shortage of pickers to
IN extent that caused loss of any
)art of the crop.
The famous path finder. Ezra
Ieeker, wrote a book on hop pick
ng in 1882. in which he told of the
carcity of hop pickers and OF In
lians coming 200 miles to pick the
rop. This has been paraphrazed
very year since then.
The same conditions prevails In
egard to picking. Files OF Oregon
show that hop picking
as begun from the first to the sixth
4 September for the past 16 years.
When there is a record OF hops be-
ag picked earlier, 1t may be under
TODD that they were picked green.
The hop market now is difficult to
Understand. Most dealers will give
ut the information that hops are
teady at II cents and that II Is
nered and that there are no sellers.
On the other hand. some dealers
ern