Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-12-30

eighteen HlllliOu uOlldISi ltS mop yards
are mere gardens of an acre or 80 IN
extent, while the dry houses, etc. are
the property of the dealers, located in
the nearby cities, who buy the uncured
hops from the growers, and cart them
TO town for curing.
About three hundred years ago the
hop plant was brought to England and
has ever since been one of her lead
ing agricultural industries. Her aver
age crop is about 225O00 bales. or the
same as the present normal croD Of
the entire United States, while in 1905
she raised 100000 bales
About 100 years ago hops became
an industry Of New York, and at one
time the state crop reached 25O. 1000
bales. Her 1911 crop, however, was
but about one-tenth that amount In
appearance State" hops, as they are
called, compare fayorably only with
our poorest qualities; however, they
have certain peculiarities, which an
peal to great many brewers.
About 1858, the hop was introduced
into Wisconsin, and the industry grew
so rapidly there that in ten years her
crop was 10000 bales, which is 16. 900
bales more than Oregon's largest crop.
That year, however, prices dropped
from zoe to practically nothing, and
the 1868 growth was not entirely
bought up until some nine years later.
From this on her yield dropped off
rapidly until today there are but few
yards left in that state.
Some time in the early seventies
Mr.. Wells of Buena Vista planted Ore
CONS first hop yard. He was followed
by the Kirkwoods Of Wheatland, Doves
of Eola, bloomsbury of Gervais, Ike
Yoakum of Eugene and a good many
others in time to reap the harvest of
1882 when hops scared to over a dol
lar a pound, and almost as quickly
dropped back to the zoe level. In fact
the story is still well known in the
hop trade how Ralph Geer of the
Waldo Hills refused $1.10 for his crop
which he later sold for 10c per pound.
Up until the early nineties yermin
was unknown in Oregon, and the hops
were allowed TO hang on the vines
until fully matured, and being ceanly
picked by Indians, the average Oregon
hop was a strictly fancy article, and
soon became favorite of the English
exporters.
All during the eighties the industry
grew, and though an important one
for Oregon, 1t was not until 1890 that
our production became large enough
to be factor in the worlds market.
AT that time shortage of crops abroad
forced prices to 42c at one time dur
ing the season, though they later
dropped to a Csc level. Following this
year, not only the butcher, the baker
and candlestick maker, but the doctor,
the lawyer and merchant as well saw
visions of great wealth to be made in
hops and thousands of acres were
planted, with the Inevitable result that
as soon as they came into bearing
prices slumped so that for several
years sc or &c sale was a good one.
The great loss this entailed to the
growers caused a gradual decreased
acreage, and proportionate rise in val
ues, until in 1902, prices were again
at 25c, This again started the hop
planting, which, received further
impetus the next year when 27c was
paid, and reached its climax in 1904
: when a new record of 32c was made,
and then all caution was thrown to
the winds and new yards planted by
the hundreds, and in September, 1905,
the growers who refused 30c for their
hops, sold them for sc per pound.
In 1904 we raised 10000 bales and
in 1905 115,O0O bales, while the full
acreage came into bearing in 1906 with
yield of 10000 bales. Twas in this
latter year that, Understanding the
crop, one firm attempted to corner
the market, and bought Nup 10000
bales at probable cost of one mil
lion dollars. Stocks, however, were
too large for the success of the under
taking, and 1t was not until five years
later that the firm was able to sell
the hops without an enormous loss.
The 1907 crop was smaller, only
$4,000 bales, but the panic appearing
IN the midst of the hop season, forced
prices down to five and six cents.
In 1908 the effect of the adverse
prices were shown in the state yield,
and only 100000 bales were raised,
but the surpluses from the former
years were, sufficient to keep prices
below &c.
These bad years induced many
growers to contract their crops for a
number of years at ten cents apound
which at that time was indeed a large
price, but looked very small the next
year, 1909, when with a short English
crop, and our own at but $4,000 bales,
prices went to 25c, in November oil
mat year. Many growers, however
ielt that conditions warranted mucn
higher prices, while on the other hand
prices continued falling until some
were sold as low as sc.
The 1910 crop was $4,000 bales,
which with the old stocks carried
over, was sufficient for our needs, II
evenly distributed, however, the large
Middle Western brewers were very
heavy buyers and practically the entire
crop went to them and to exporters
at about 12c per pound, and our At
lantic seboard brewers awoke in jan
uary to find storehouses empty ana
out a few thousand bales of 1910 hops
available. Prices rose until zoe was
reached, at which price practically
every bale was bought up. Then the
uemand dropped back on the old l9OS
crop, until the last of it was also
bought at about zoe. In fact the one
last lot in the state sold for 2Sc. just
before the 1911 crop was harvested.
All these years, since 1906, some ol
our growers had been holding their