Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1909-06-05
wAsHINGToN'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
20 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, a
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.
J. A.
4O-acre yard, as has also ii. 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 26,-
900 bales Of POO pounds each The yield
Of 9Os was about 800 bales The esti-
mate for 1909 is tho same. The present
price Is about 10 cents q pound The
cost Of raising is from r 10 10 cents.
The yield Is from 800 10 1000 pounds
an acre.
Contracts arc being made in various
parts Of the valley and 80 far the only
price mentioned is DO cents pound.
81 Huntington a Company al North
Yakima. through Fred Alter. closed con-
tracts for three years az that lgure,
which Be- o cent 0r 30 lower than ~ pre-.
falling in Oregon for everything except
contracts ou 1909 A0ps.
Many of fhe groNers who NilI remain
in fAo bnsiness decline fo contract bot
nlll cultivate the.r crop for wAai They
arc able ~ foe in y ai az ond ~ fhe
season one contract laf boon recorded
this soaaon AN Nen0p selling 10000
pauudf ~ 1909 Aopt "a io eenif to ihe
iorsi peoplf
Slope Herf f0f Feals among ihf Nfsf
paying eropf ~ fhe saIley And fNe
IaNma product ~ q4allft y fafoa Ha
bong among iAf leti ffoHn |n Anterior