Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-10-05
GIVES LARGE RETURNS
HOP INDUSTRY MAKES FOR
TUNES FOR MANY PEOPLE.
But That Was Some Years Ago,
When Prices lowered Around
a Dollar Per Pound.

win mop prices around lU cents a
pound, the Oregon crop this year will
bring more than $2,0O00O0, and half
Of that will be paid in wages. Taking
one year with another, Oregon grows
more hops than any other state in
the union. One hundred thousand
bales is about the average yield, and
the crop this year is estimated at
from $4,000 to 100000 bales. When
prices go to Is or 20 cents the indus
try is invitingly profitable.
There was a time when it was a
bonanza for growers who got early
into the game. In the rich river val
leys of King and Pierce counties in
Washington the yield ran from 1000
to 5000 pounds to the acre, and some
years the price went to dollar and
even better than dollar
When Henry Willard was complet-
ing the Northern Pacific in the early
'80s hops were the chief and most
profitable crop in western Washing
ton and Seattle and Tacoma owed
their first boom largely to the .fabu-
lous profits that came to fortunate
growers. Fortunes were made in hops
in single season and many growers
turned to real estate speculation in
the Wanting Puget Sound cities.
The industry got its first footing
in Oregon so years ago, in Marion
and Lane counties, and in the inter
vening half century has had many ups
and downs. When prices mounted to
a dollar everybody talked hops and
everybody tried to get into the indus
try. Overproduction followed, prices
fell to few cents pound and the
scramble to get out was even more in
tense than that to get in. Thousands
pulled up their hop vines and went
into other crops, but enough stayed
with the business to keep it going and
the surviving industry stands now a
substantial resource in the Willamette
valley in Oregon and the Yakima val
ley in Washington.
"We knew one farmer" says Gas
toms history of Portland, sswho did
not sell his hops on account of low
prices for three years, and had on
hand three crops-Ralph Geer of
Waldo hills in Marion county. C. H.
Lewis of Portland had advanced mon
~ to pick all these crops. In the third
year hops went up to a dollar a
oound. Mr.. Lewis sent special mes
'enger with a letter to Mr.. Geer, tell
ng him to sell his hops at once. Geer
hought the price would go to dollar
ind a quarter a pound and held on.
The next day the price dropped and
,ept on dropping until it reached Is
ents a pound. Geer had then to sell
lnder forced sales-and was fnan-
tally ruined
In spite Of its violent ups and
|owns hop growing has been an inn
nensely valuable industry for the Pa
ific northwest. In the long course
f 80 years it has probably brought
nto the country more millions than
we're washed from the rich placer
nines of northern Idaho. Labor has
AIKEN the lions share, and the in
lustry has been fine source of rev.
nue. for young men and women. First
nd last, thousands of boys and girls
ave found it substantial aid to
heir progress through school and col
ege.
Bonanza prices have gone, never, in
II probability to return, but the in
ustry has settled down to fairly sta
lie conditions. In most years there
) a wide spread between high and
1w prices, but generally there comes
time each season when the grower
, offered moderately profitable pric-
s. The United States year book Of
griculture thus tabulates the Chica-
o prices of Pacific hops, high and
wv, over the decade from 1900 to
D09:
oar Hioh Low Wear Hioh ow