Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-09-09
THOUSANDS PICKING
HOPS IN POLK NOW
Growers Association Aims To
F., Control Fifty Per Cent Of
! Total Crop

district gathering the harvest from an
acreage closely estimated at 5000, Of
which the Willamette river town is
the logical center, according to the Dal
las Observer. Portland has sent
about 5000 persons into the hop yards
this season, the remaining number
coming from various parts of the
state. About 225 persons are requir-
ed to 100-acre tract. Nearly all
the yards are short-handed this sea-
son, accounted for from the fact that
the harvest began unusually early,
overlapping the grain harvest, and
the reduction from so to 40 cents per
box for picking, which is considered
by the growers to be fair price un-
der present market conditions The
price outlook for 1915 non-contractel
hops is not encouraging; neither is it
depressing. The average hop man will
say that the price will be somewhere
between IL cents and 40 cents. Twelve
cents is reckoned as the bottom price,
because it will cost 10 cents to get
the hops lin the bale" this year. The
growers say the price will depend
mainly on the following: The ability
of the Hopgrowers association to
control majority of the supply; the
buying activity of the London mar
ket; the quantity and quality of the
general output. There is no doubt
that market equilibrium will be
brought about in time by the forma.
tion of hopgrowers associations. Hop
Nmen agree that if fair percentage
of the supply can uc controlled the
business ean be made conservative.
Anyway, these associations which
now have taken definite form are
eliminating the middfeman by selling
directly to the brewer.
j. S. Cooper of Independence, who
is engaged in association work, is of
the opinion that 80 per cent of the
non-contracted hops will be lined W
by the associations this year If Lon
don firms come briskly in the market
and cheerfully pay the excessive ex-
ira cost of war insurance, high ex.
change and prohibitive freight rates,
the price will be good. 1t is evident
that there is shortage of hops in
the country generally, but the quality
is excellent. This ought to make for
better prices certainly. Contrary to
some reports, the crop around Inde-
pendence is both heavy and of high
quality G. A. MeLoughlin, big own
er and a man whose opinion is given
much consideration, says his yard will
average 400 pounds per acre and be.
lieves about $4,000 bales will be ship
ped from the country tributary to In.
dependence.
The raising of hops in Polk county
furnishes employment to large num-
ber during the three weeks of y
harvest, and that hop-picking is re-
munerative is illustrated by the earn
ings of a family coming from the 81.
letz country, where they have home
stead and whore they have undertak.
en- to carve out home for the future.
This rural resident is the possessor of
a wife and ten children, who are pick.
ing in the Cooper yard, where, ac-
cording to the family head, together
they are averaging fifty boxes uer
day, or 500. Counting $4 per day
for expenses a handsome sum is be-
ing netted To newspaper man who
visited this field the mother said she
hoped to make near $500, which would
clothe the children through the win.
ter months and provide them with
books for school
In Other districts.
But the Independence district is
not the only section Of Polk county
which produces hops. Surrounding
Dallas are many smaller hop yards.
where hundreds of persons are now
engaged, most of them going forth in
the morning and returning to town at
the close of the days work. The up
land crops are showing up better tha'
was anticipated before the harvest be.
gan, while the quality is considered |
fairly good by the growers. Some Of
the yards Have finished picking, bu' |
as whole the gathering of the crop IS
only about half through.
The one yard from which larger !
crop than that of last year will be
gathered is that of Tanning e. Brooks, |
at Ballston. They have 43 acres nr5 !
estimate that from this yeard they will |
harvest between 10000 and 10000 |
pounds. This is in what is known as
the Sheridan district, where con
SeTNutiNe esllIndIe OF tnlS wear our I
put is 1000 bales, or just 80 per cent .
of the usual output. Ordinarily not .
less than 1000 bales are gathered
This estimate is based on the result |
of pickings in some of the yards where
harvest has begun.
The Horst yard, containing 567
acres, is the largest in the world.
From 1850 to 1,500 pickers, besides
are employed there to gather
the crop. The machine cost $4,000 TO
build and while It requires forty per.
sons to operate II. it performs the work
Of 100 human pickers The machine
however, is used only in the poorer
grade Of hops. Five thousand bales Of
hops is the estimate from the Horst
yard
At other representative hop yards
in the Independence district pickcrs
are being employed as follows: G. L.
Mitchell 400 pickers: H. II. Hanna
and John Hanna, 400; Mrs. ]. n
Burton, 400; Squirting Brothers, 200;
Walker Brothers and Cook Brothers
jointly, $50. At the 3O0.acre ward Of
c. A. Mclaughlin, from which 1000
bales of hops are expected to be pro-
iueed, 700 pickers are employed, and