Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1909-05-29
wAsHINaToN's HOP INDUSTRY.
Large Fortunes Made in Past, 800
Acres in Hops at Present George
Rankin Owner Largest Yard.

While hop-growing has made fortunes
for many in the Yakima valley, there
are some who believe the industry has
had its golden age in central Washing
ton, where the big red apple is taking
its place as a commercial product. This
does not mean that the quality or the
quantity of the acre yield has deteri-
Grated in the least, but it emphasizes
the fact that the land is becoming too
valuable for hop culture. The industry
was highly profitable when prices
ranged from 20 to 80 cents a pound.
This becomes apparent when it is
known that the average yield ranges
from 1900 to 1000 pounds the acre,
which, at present market prices, 10
cents a pound, would net not more than
from $3.50 to 5000, while the same land
planted to apples of commercial winter
varieties will yield from $500 to $3.50
and sometimes as high as $1,000
the sixth, seventh and eighth years.
The quality of the hops grown in the
Yakima valley is superior, and there
are some who believe that prices will
go up in years to come, but the smaller
acreage under cultivation this year
would indicate that the industry is
waning The acreage that will be cul-
tivated this year will be from one-third
to one-half of that of five years ago.
Owing to the low price of hops and the
better returns from fruit-growing,
large number of hop yards have been
plowed up and set to orchards.
This is true of possibly half the acre
age formerly devoted to hop culture. Of
the remaining lands, probably one-third
will not be cultivated this season.
Thirty-fve hundred acres of land was
in hops three years ago, the yards vary
ing from 10 to 100 acres. There are at
present approximately 1900 acres in
hops.
George Rankin is the owner of one
of the larger yards, having 105 acres.
The Mckee company, which has been
the most extensive grower of hops in the
valley, once had more than 300 acres
under cultivation. Some of this acre
age is now devoted to general farming.
A. B. Weed made fortune from his
4O-acre yard, as has also H. II. Schott,
who owns 40 acres. Messrs. Fechter
and Janock have so acres, and the
Lynch brothers have a large acreage in
the Ahtanum valley near North Yakima.
The average production of hops in
Yakima county, five years ago, was 90
900 bales of 200 pounds each. The yield
of 90s was about $500 bales The esti-
mate for 1909 is the same The present
: price is about 10 cents a pound. The
cost of raising is from to 10 cents.
The yield is from 1900 to 1000 pounds
: an acre.
Contracts are being made in various
parts of the valley. and so far the only
price mentioned is 10 cents pound.
S. Huntington s. Company, at North
= Yakima, through Fred Alter, closed con-
tracts for three years at that figure,
which is cent or so lower than is pre-
vailing in Oregon for everything except
contracts on 1909 hops.
Many of the growers who will remain
in the business decline to contract but
will cultivate their crop for what they
are able to see in it at the end of the
season. One contract has been recorded
this season, M. Herson selling 10000
pounds of 1909 hops at 10 cents to the
r Horst people.
Hops were for years among the best
paying crops of the valley and the
e Yakima product for quality is rated as
being among the best grown in America,
e and is favorably known wherever hops
a are used throughout the world. The
s hops are generally picked by Indians
: from the reservation and reds from the
!. Northland, who make the trip in canoes
;, to Puget sound, bringing their families
> and belongings with them. In other
yards the work is done by whites and
. it furnishes pleasant way of passing
q vacation out of doors.