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8 THE HOP. generally combined, the manure from the cattle being needed to fertilize the hop roots. Hop growing often proves a failure with small growers, owing partly to disease and parasites and partly to low prices. The small grower also is occupied with other crops and has not time to give as much care and attention to the hop yards as they deserve, the plant being prompt to resent any neglect. It is in the small yards that lack of culti- vation is so common, together with carelessness in tending the crop, looking after the poles, or tying the vines. The largest yard in New York state is that of James F. Clark, whose yard, near Cooperstown, covers 150 acres, which are always brought to a high state of cultivation. Waterville, Cooperstown and Schoharie are the market centers for New York state hops. Wisconsin embarked in hop culture in the early sixties, and by 1869 the federal census showed a crop of 25,000 bales. This has never since been equaled or exceeded. Ten years later, Wisconsin produced less than half that quantity of hops, and since then its product has steadily diminished, never exceeding half a million pounds. The crop has been reduced by lice, and comparatively few growers gave it the attention bestowed upon hops in New York. Wisconsin plan- tations are now confined to a few large yards of from 10 to 100 acres, less than 1,000 acres being devoted to the crop and often but a fraction of the area is worth picking. California led off in the introduction of hop culture to the Pacific coast. Daniel Flint brought the first hops into the Golden state, in 1857, from Vermont. He persisted in their culture almost alone until the leg- islature of 1863 voted him $1000 as a reward for dem- onstrating the possibilities of this new crop in the Sac- ramento valley. From 8000 bales in 1869, the California crop has jumped to some 50,000 bales, grown on some 7500 acres, compared to iioo acres in 1879. The ORIGIIT AND SPREAD. 9 largest hop plantations in the world are along the rich alluvial bottom lands of the Sacramento, Russian and Feather rivers in California. The size of a hop farm in that state ranges all the way from lo to 300 acres, the latter being the size of the Pleasanton plantation, Alameda county, where at harvest time as many as 1500 to 2000 pickers are employed. The principal hop growing counties are Sonoma, Sacramento, Mendo- cino, Alameda, Yolo, Yuba, San Joaquin. Orcgojis commercial hop industry dates from about 1880, and has been characterized by wide fluctu- ations in area devoted to the crop, likewise in yield and quality. These violent changes are due partly to the fact that on these rich soils hop cuttings planted in spring will yield 800 to 1200 lbs. of cured hops in the fall, while in New York state no crop is expected until the second year, and not much until the third season from planting, while in England and on the continent, four years from planting are required for a full crop. This apparent advantage has operated to the detriment rather than to the benefit of the Pacific coast, especially in Oregon and Washington, because it has led to hop planting by inexperienced persons, or to the setting out of larger plantations than the owners could properly operate except by incurring heavy mortgages. Low prices following overproduction have therefore ruined a larger proportion of those who we'nt into hops on the Pacific coast than in any other part of the world. The industry in Oregon is now confined to the counties west of the Cascade mountains, centering mainly in Marion, Polk, Clackamas, Yamhill and Washington counties. In Washington, conditions are much similar to those in the neighboring state of Oregon. Although hops are being increasingly grown in the Yakima val- ley east of the Cascades, and to a very limited extent in the valley of the Columbia, Spokane and Snake rivers, 10 THE HOP. the industry has long centered in King and Pierce counties, in the rich plains and valleys running down to FIG. 1. A THREE HUNDRED ACRE HOP FIELD NEARLY READY TO PICK. This is one of the largest blocks of hops grown in one field anywhere in the world. It is at Pleasaiiton, Cal. the inland sea. Lewis county, Southern Washington, is also becoming quite a hop center. The statistics in ORIGIN AND SPREAD. 11 the appendix show the marked variations that have characterized the areas and yield. FUTURE OF THE HOP INDUSTRY Tlie IVorld's Siif'f'Iy of hops, it will be seen, comes mainly from the United States, England and Germany. Great Britain imports an average of 125,000 bales of hops yearly, of which 65,000 come from the United States and the balance from Europe. Germany ex- ports about 130,000 bales per year, and imports some 20,000 bales; about 50,000 bales of her exports go to Great Britain, the balance to other European countries and to the United ^States. The limitation of the world's market for hops is therefore clearly defined. The appendix tables show how both area and yield are fluctuating, and throw a flood of light on the pos- sible monopoly" of the world's hop market by the United States, and especially by our Pacific coast states. The author believes such monopoly to be pos- sible, at least to the extent of the United States produc- ing the largest share of the world's consumption. To that end, this book is written. But if the United States is to achieve that distinction, it will be by im- proving the quality of American hops until they are the best in the world and by producing them at less cost than they can be grown elsewhere. The steady increase in the consumption of hops is also apparent from the statistical appendix. While the figures are not as perfect as desirable, because of the obvious dif^culty of collecting full returns, thev dem- onstrate a constant growth in the demand for hops. Substitutes and adulterants check the use of hops to a considerable extent, especially in seasons of scarcity, and constitute an evil that must be suppressed. The main reliance of the hop grower is the brewers' de- mand. The consumption of beer, already enormous, has increased astonishingly of late years, and bids fair 12 THE HOP to continue to do so. Throughout the world the ten- dency seems to be to replace the heavy beverages and injurious Hquors with the hghter wines and beer. Brewing makes a product so much cheaper than wine that beer is destined to hold first place until humanity reaches the stage in its evolution that is char- acterized by total abstinence. An increasing demand being thus assured, an- other favorable influence is the fact that the value of this crop is of late years being more governed by the law ot supply and demand than formerly. The increas- ing elTficiency of the crop reporting service, especially that conducted by American Agriculturist in co-opera- tion with hop growers, has done something to mitigate the gambling that has characterized the selling of hops. Much more could be done to place the industry on a safer commercial basis, as suggested in the chapter on marketing, but it will require years of effort to educate growers up to the co-operation needed to accomplish this purpose. In spite of the peculiarities of the plant and of the hop industry, as set forth in Chapters II and III, the hop for many years will continue to be an agricultural specialty that will yield profits according to the judg- ment employed in its culture and sale. Fia. 2. COMMENCEMENT OF POLE STACK. CHAPTER II PECULIARITIES OF THE INDUSTRY HE hop industry may be re- garded as a very peculiar one in many respects. The area upon which hops can be grown is Hmited, owing to pecuharities and necessary conditions of soil and cli- mate, not only in this coun- try, but throughout the world. Unfavorable weather at the critical period of hop development may almost ruin in a few days what had promised to be a crop large in Cjuantity and fine in quality. Earlier in the season, lice and other pests may cause such injury that, even with ordinarily favorable weather, the plant may not fully recuperate and the yield will be poor. These risks are more serious with hops than with almost any other plant. Add the dangers usual to all husbandry from drouths, wind, flood, frost, etc., and it will be seen that on a given area the product and qual- ity of hops may vary more widely from year to year than is the case with almost any other crop. If, in addition to these conditions, the area devoted to hops should be suddenly enlarged; or, on the other hand, if considerable areas should not be harvested, owing to poor crops or low prices, wide fluctuations may occur in the supply and quality of hops. These factors make it difiicult to collect exact data about the production of hops, even with the co-operation of growers. The 13 14 THE HOP. FIG. 3. A NEW YORK HOP YARD. Trained on long poles and cross strings. PECULIARITIES OF THE INDUSTRY. " 15 absence of organization among growers in America, and a still worse condition in this respect in England and on the continent, adds to the uncertainty of even the best efforts to ascertain the extent of the new crop. The effect of these natural influences that favor fluctuating supplies and prices, is heightened by arti- ficial conditions. The movement of hops, as shown by actual shipments, and by imports and exports, fails to reveal the extent of old stocks in hands of dealers or brewers. Under ideal conditions, hops can be kept in cold storage for months without losing their virtue to any great extent. Breweries are now equipped with cold storage for this purpose, and brewers usually make it a practice to stock up liberally when prices are low, but as. practiced cold storage is not proving a suc- cess. The quantity of hops used per barrel of beer varies in different breweries to such an extent as to afford but a shaky 1:>asis for computing consumption on output of beer. It is asserted by some that fewer hops per barrel of beer are now used than formerly, while others claim to the contrary. It is now customary in the American trade to estimate one pound of hops to be used for each barrel of beer, against one and one-half pounds twenty years ago, but this is somewhat arbi- trary. When hops are dear, less is used per barrel than when cheap, the deficiency being made good by hop extract. or substitutes. While the supply and the uncertainty about it thus fluctuates, the demand is fairly constant in comparison. Except in so far as substitutes are used, the demand for hops is regulated by the consumption of beer, the quantity used for medicinal or household purposes really playing no part in the commercial question of supply and demand. As the consumption of beer is largest in Europe, where the population is most set- tled, it is not liable to sudden increases or decreases, and may be estimated with a very fair degree of accu- 16 THE HOP. racy year in and year out. In America, however, owing no doubt to the more sudden growth of our for- eign population, the consumption of beer has increased more than in Europe. The world's steady increase in beer consumption indicates that the demand for hops is not likely to vary to any great extent, such as would warrant the planting of a much larger area in those sections where climate and soil have been found suit- able for hop cultivation. Even additional taxation of beer has not materially restricted consumption in the past and is not likely to in the future. Duties on hops would affect their value more than taxes on beer, yet the world's supply of hops must in the long run govern prices. In a year of short crops in the United States, a tariff of fifteen cents per pound on imported hops would be of more benefit to domestic producers than a duty of eight cents; in a season of domestic overproduction, the highef' rate would not much influence the price of domestic hops, except possibly the fancy brands. In either case, the higher duty would not affect the price of beer, and therefore a moderately stiff tariff on imported hops is a good thing for American growers. But as "the for- eigner pays the tariff tax," it would be bad for hop growers outside of England if the British Parliament should impose a high duty on hops imported into Great Britain, which is the market for the world's surplus of hops. It is fortunate that the hop area throughout the world is limited, because, with an increased area avail- able, the temptation would be such, in seasons of high prices, as to induce farmers to increase their acreage so as to thoroughly demoralize the market and depress prices to a point that would cause a loss to all growers. Such a condition has been experienced already more than once. Then, again, the failure of the hop crop in Europe has caused a heavy shortage in supply, with PECULIARITIES OF THE INDUSTRY. 17 2i3 2» S5 ^ (/I rj- 52 12! c- 2c n s o -^ *= -• 18 THE HOP. an extra demand for hops of American growth, for which abnormal and unheaUhy prices have been paid, — unheahhy because they gave a temporary fictitious value to a staple crop, values which growers cannot with any show of reason or certainty expect to realize once in ten or twenty years. Yet the very fact that such a price as $i per pound has been paid for hops grown in this country, has stimulated farmers to largely increase their area and even to plant hops in locations that are not naturally adapted to their successful growth. The result, of course, has always been an oversupply with a heavy, dull, dragging market during several years, when dealers secured the crops at their own prices, which were not enough to pay the farmer for the actual cost of production. These periods of overproduction were followed by the destruction of plantations, with a consequent loss of time and money, till the market readjusted itself and became more set- tled. Then, again, the temptation arises to increase the production. The wide fluctuations in the price of hops in the past are therefore easily accounted for. The most sen- sational was the advance to $i and over per pound of the American crop in the fall of 1882, and a decline to 5c per pound three years later. Prices have since cov- ered a wide range every season, though not to so marked an extent as in the instance cited. The crop of 1893 was comparatively short as a whole, following only medium crops for two or three years previous. This led to an increased acreage; with favorable weather the next two crops were the largest on record, and prices of the 1895 crop fell fully as low as ten years earlier. Growers seemed to have forgotten the lesson of the early '8o's and made the same mistake a decade later. In this, however, the hop planter is no different from other people, for humanity has continued to make the same mistake generation after generation. PECULIARITIES OF THE INDUSTRY. 19 "The hop industry is a gamble," has therefore come to be an axiom. Yet with all its uncertainties this saving is not exactly true. Men who most per- fectly understand the crop and most prudently allow for its uncertainties,- have kept right along raising hops year after year, aiming at marketing about an even quantity of nice goods each season, and have found the industry rather more profitable in the end than any other crop grown in their neighborhood. It is fair to say that such men are a minority, and that the majority of American hop planters during the past forty years have quit hop growing poorer than when they began. Much can be done to reduce the artificial uncer- tainties in the hop industry, also to mitigate the natural causes of variation. One object of this book is to set forth how this can be done, and thus to place the whole hop industry on a surer basis. USES OF THE HOP The manufacture of beer and ale consumes prob- ably 95 per cent, or more of the world's production of hops. The oil from hops (that is, from the strobiles) is used for medicinal purposes. A decoction of hops is used in medicine for their tonic effect. Hops also have a sedative action, and are prescribed for derange- ments of the digestive organs attended by nervous irritability. The hop extract or lupulin kept in drug stores is preferred to the decoction for medicinal use. For hot applications to the body, nothing will retain heat or is more convenient for this purpose than a bag or compress of hops. For a variety of purposes, in household medicine, the hop is indispensable and widely used, as well as for yeast. Hops are prepared with a strong decoction of hops, oatmeal and water, and make an excellent remedy for ulcers, which should first be fomented with the decoction. A hop bath to relieve pain has also been recommended by physicians 20 THE HOI*. o H >^ Q ^1 O W o w o 15 w w H P o PECULIARITIES OF THE INDUSTRY. 21 for certain painful internal diseases, made by boiling two pounds of hops in two gallons of water for half an hour, then strain and press and add the fluid to about thirty gallons of hot water. A pillow of hops induces sleep. Hop tea is said to be good for the blood and for fever. The hop root contains much starchy matter and considerable tannin, but has never been utilized for these substances. The root has been used as a substi- tute for sarsaparilla. The tender shoots, taken wdien they just appear above ground, are cooked and eaten like asparagus or greens, making a dainty bitter relish, if the soil has been worked up so that the shoot is white for a foot'or more. Hop buds are also used as a salad. The stem of the hop plant contains a vegetable wax and sap from which can be made a durable reddish brown. Its ash is used in the manufacture of Bohe- mian glass, and the vine also makes an excellent pulp for paper. From its fiber, ropes and coarse textile fabrics of considerable strength have been made. To make hop cloth the stalks are cut, done up in bundles and steeped like hemp, then dried in the sun, and beaten with mallets to loosen the fibers, which are afterward carded and woven in the usual way. Excel- lent paper and cardboard can be made from hop vines or roots, or from spent hops, and there are various patents and processes for such products. The vine being hollow, it is often used by boys for smoking pur- poses or as stems for pipes. Hop vines are usually burned after the crop is gathered, but if pressed into stacks or pits while still green they make an ensilage that is good feed for cat- tle. In France, the fresh hop leaves are also saved and fed with other forage to cattle. Valuable experience on this point is afforded by T. M. Hopkins of Worces- ter, England, who writes: "In October, I made two stacks of hop vines i6 by i6 feet and i8 feet high. After 22 THE HOP. letting it ferment freely it was pressed down with a screw press and the next day was filled up again, and when sufficiently fermented, again pressed down, this process being repeated all through the hop picking. By March I had used nearly the whole of it, and calcu- late it saved me some 80 tons of hay. My horses have had nothing else for two months, excepting their usual allowance of corn, and I have never had them looking better. I have also had 100 head of cattle, — stores, cows and calves, — feeding on it, and they do well, the flow of milk being increased. Dr. Voelcker has analyzed it and says it contains plenty of good material, is decid- edly rich in nitrogen, nor is the amount of organic acid excessive or likely to harm cattle. Another chemist says it contains more flesh-forming matter and less indigestible fiber than hay. Planters should leave off selling hops at a loss, but let the plant run wild, and they may every season cut two or three immense crops of material that will make silage of unexceptionable quality." CHAPTER III CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PLANT HERE is but one species of hop, Humuhis liip'.Llws though there are several varieties. The hop plant is naturally dioecious; that is, the male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers occur on different plants. Occasionally in a hop yard will be found what is called a hermaphrodite or bastard hop, with staminate and pistillate flowers on the same vine; the hop is not over half size, deformed, and is sel- dom gathered. Sometimes there will be not over one bas- tard vine to the acre, then there will be a dozen in half an acre. The bastard seems to be dwarfed, for it will go only one-half to two-thirds up its support. This sport does not seem to be permanent, for it seldom occurs twice in the same place. This freak usually occurs near a male vine, and there the female vine is so overcharged with pollen that it partakes of or is try- ing to represent the two genders in the same vine. The hop is perennial; once started, from either root, cuttings, or from seed, the vine comes up anew from the same root year after year. The hop root is of a tough, leathery, spongy, porous nature. The hop has two distinct roots, a lower and an upper root, or runners. The lower roots have no eyes and propa- gation cannot take place from them, their of^ce being to sustain the plant. The upper or surface roots have 23 24 THE HOP. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PLANT. 25 eyes or joints every four to six inches, their office be- ing mainly for propagation. These are cut into pieces of two joints about six or eight inches long, for planting. The root of the female plant is the lighter colored of the two, and the buds or eyes are more blunt. The male root is of a darker or grayish color, and the buds or eyes are more pointed and of a reddish or purple color. In America, a male root is planted for every lOO female hills; in England, one for every 200 to 300 hills; in Europe, the male plant is not countenanced. The eyes are on opposite sides of every joint of the root. Each joint can throw out from six to a dozen buds. On a small root the center bud starts first, while on a large root, half a dozen buds start at the same time, each striving for the mastery. Usually the vine that bears the hops comes out directly above the crown, but a surface root may run under the ground one foot or two feet, and then come out and run up its support and bear hops. These vines, when young and green and fresh, can be layered, cov- ered with moist earth, and they will grow into roots with joints and eyes. The great objection to layered roots is that the joints will be too long and not as de- sirable for planting as the runners that come out nat- urally with shorter joints. From four to twenty or more vines will come out of every vigorous hill, and after selecting the desired number of the best for tying, the rest are destroyed and kept down by cutting or covering with earth. The vines are put on the strings or poles when about two feet long. Amines have to be put around the poles and tied with a string, but when strings are used to guide them to the wire trellis, it is only necessary to twine the vine around the string a couple of times, when by its innumerable little hooks on its six sides it will require no more attention unless shaken off by 26 THE HOP. some violent motion, or by a continuous wind for sev- eral days. Should a three days' wind blow the vine off from the perpendicular string to the extent of a foot or eighteen inches, if the wind goes down at night, every vine will be found clinging to the string in the FIG. 7. BRANCH OF MALE (staminate) HOP VINE. Reduced in size, and showing at the lower left-hand corner a single flower o' the natural size. morning, having caught on again by their spiral or re- volving motion. Vines have to be put around horizontal strings or wires by hand. When left to their own inclination, they will grow upward until they become so long and heavy they will fall down and have to be replaced on CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PLANT. 27 their support. The end of the vine during the growing season, — say from one to two feet, — is very tender in the morning, and is easily broken; in the afternoon it will stand more careless handling without breaking. If the end of a vine is broken off in the growing season, the next joint will throw out two vines and soon catch up with the original vine and bear just as many hops, but the arms from the second joint are best. The vine when climbing a perpendicular support always winds with the sun, from left to right, or with the FIG. 8. FEMALE VINE, SHOWING FLOWERS. hands of a clock; other kinds of vines mostly climb in the opposite direction, which 'is, perhaps, why the patent ofifice years ago granted a patent to a man who claimed to have "invented" the hop's habit of winding from left to right. The hop vine is hollow, six-sided, and has six rows of small, sharp hooks. These hooks are especially sharp on the tendrils, enabling the latter to cling fast, so that the plant can climb rapidly. The hop vine has two motions. The first motion is a twist of the vine from right to left, the reverse of the sun and clock hands. The second motion is a •is 'iiiK iior spiral or revolving" motion, with the sun, which winds the vino aronnd its support. WhciU'vcr a vine is changctl from a perpendicular to a horizontal i)osilion, the twist in the vine changes, or reverses, and twists with the sun. 'The instinct of a hop vine seems to be to follow a peri)endicular position, and it cannot be made to follow an angle less than forty five degrees without artificial means. Fia. 9. BRANCH OP FEMALE HOPS. A hop vine is one of the most ambitious of nature's climbers. Tt will go to the to]) of its su])port, if 20 to 30 feet high, and the hoi)s will be on the extreme end, while none will be within 10 to 15 feet of the ground. When a shorter support is used, the arms will hang nearly to the ground, loaded with hops. The vine ex- CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PLAKT. 29 panels in diameter when four to six feet from the .l 36.2 26.4 16.3 11.2 2.8 1.9 0.8 0.6 5.8 4.0 26.1 15.6 27.0 21.1 Average. 8.3 44.8 31.6 14.0 2.3 0.7 4.8 20.1 24.2 The conclusion drawn from these results is that the tannic acid effects of hops are accomplished mostly after they have been deprived of their resin, and that but a very small proportion of the nitrogenous constit- uents of the hops being taken up by the water extract, they are of but little importance in the wort. THE CHEMISTRY OF HOPS is treated in further detail for this work by E. E. Ewell, of the Division of Chem- istry, United States Department of Agriculture, as fol- lows: "That our knowledge of the chemistry of hops is still deficient in many points is shown by this quota- tion from Moritz and Morris's 'Text Book of the Sci- ence of Brewing,' published in 1891: "Although it must be granted that in recent years we have got to know something precise as to many of the constituents of the hop, yet its chemistry, like all botanical chemistry, is surrounded by difficulties in regard to the isolation and investigation of the various constituents, difficulties far exceeding those of the study of other materials used in brewing." According to these authors, "Hops are added to the beer for the following reasons: (i) To give the beer the distinctive bitter flavor and aroma; (2) to precipi- tate certain nitrogenous constituents of the wort; (3) to clarify the wort, not only by the separation of the above constituents, but by the mechanical clarifying COMPOSITION OF PLANT AND FRUIT. .i5 to 56 THE HOP. property of the hop leaves when agitated in the copper, and by the formation of a filter bed for the filtration of the wort in the hop back; (4) to preserve the beer by the antiseptic influence of some of their constitu- ents; (5) to assist in the sterilization of the wort. "The bitter flavor is imparted by some of the resins and the so-called hop acid (hopfciibittcrsaurc); the aroma by the volatile oils; the precipitation of the nitrogenous matters by the tannic acid, and the anti- septic properties by certain of the resins. It is there- fore essential that hops, to be of value, should contain these substances in due proportions. "The percentage of tannic acid in hops is stated by communications from the Agricultural Laboratory of Vienna to range from 1.38 to 5.13 per cent., the average being between 3 and 3.5 per cent., and this, so far as we know, is the normal amount found in good hops. The percentage of volatile oil, shown by the analyses contained in the report from the Austrian laboratory named above, ranges from 0.15 to 0.48, the average being about 0.25 to 0.35. To these oils we owe the aroma and delicate flavor of the beer. "The bittering principles of hops are still the sub- ject of considerable divergence of opinion. According to Hayduck, the resins are the essential bittering prin- ciple, and as Hayduck's researches are the most recent and are characterized by completeness and definiteness, it is probable that his views are more worthy of cre- dence than those of the older investigators. Among these is Lermer, who claims to have separated a crys- talline bitter acid from hops, to which he attributes their bittering properties. The acid is insoluble in water, but soluble in dilute alcohol, imparting to the solution an intensely bitter taste. "Julich sejiai-ated an intensely bitter substance from hops, whjch u^s easily soluble in water. Bun- gener attributes the bitter to a substance partially of an COMPOSITION OF PLAXT AXD FRUIT. 57 to OS 58 THE HOP. acid, partially of an aldehydic nature. The substance is insoluble in water, but easily soluble in alcohol, ether, etc. It is easily oxidized to valerianic acid, and Bungener attributes the presence of this acid in old hops to this cause." Various figures are given for the percentages of the true bitter principle, but owing to the widely differ- ing opinions in regard to the exact nature of the one or more bitter substances contained in hops, it is not thought wise to repeat these figures. Hayduck fovuid at least three resinous bodies in hops. Data in regard to the percentages of these resins are not at hand, but Blyth publishes, in his treatise on foods, an analysis of lupulin by Dr. Yves, which shows 30 per cent, of resin. Several analysts have devoted considerable time to the detection of an alkaloidal, or other constituent of hops, which will account for the narcotic or stupefying efTect of beers, in the brewing of which large propor- tions of hops are used. Moritz and Morris, in their book already mentioned, state that while this view as first announced by Graham is reasonable, it is not at all improbable that the higher alcohols developed at the higher temperatures prevalent in the English practice of brewing are also important factors in producing a beer possessing a greater stupefying efifect than the lager beers produced on the continent. Griessmeyer reported an alkaloid to which he gave the name of lupulin. Griess and Harrow separated a base from beer which proved to be cholin. Griess- meyer denied the presence of cholin as such in hops, stating that it exists combined with other bodies as lecithin, a body of very complicated constitution. Southby, in his work on practical brewing, states that by distilling hops in a current of steam he was able to obtain from 1.5 to 2 per cent, of volatile oil, quanti- ties decidedly in excess of the others given above. Moritz and Morris state that the chemistry of hops COMPOSITIOK OF PLANT AND FKUIT. 59 is still in such an imperfect state that physical charac- teristics, odor, color, etc., must for the present be relied upon in the judgment of this important brewers' raw material. Moritz and Morris have prepared a summary of 26 analyses, which Wolf¥ has published, of the ash of German hops. The average per cent, of mineral mat- ter is 7.4, the maximum 15.3, and the minimum 5.3. Analyses of the ash showed the following percentage composition: Potash Soda Lime. Maiu:ne.sia . Oxip Plant (female) and its Various Parts, Stated in Parts per 100 of the Air-dried Material. Ash. Nitrogen. Pota'^h. (K2O) Pliosphoric acid. (P2O,) Ill hops 6.33 10.50 3.12 6.49 3 54 3.22 3 46 1.57 2.50 3 .33 2.45 2.01 1.08 1.59 0.53 1.18 Leaves. 0.36 Stems Whole plant 0.23 0..38 "Spell t" hops 1.23 I- ^ I p "iLiuiir"* 60 THE HOP. O o H m PL, o o o Q CHAPTER V THE CLIMATE AND SOIL FOR HOPS HE hop abhors continuous heavy fog or too much humidity in either air or soil, yet so rapid a grower must not suffer for want of water. Light fogs two or three times a week seem to favor hops, and to them FUnt at- tributes the fine color so characteristic of Pacific coast hops. Winters that kill the root stocks are imfavorable. A climate that allows the root to rest from its labor, but enables it to make an early start in spring without danger from late frosts, an atmosphere free from excessive clouds and humid- ity, with abundant sunshine, not too dry as harvest approaches, with an absence of early frosts — there the hop thrives and there blights, mold and lice are reduced to a minimum. Hence the superiority of certain limited regions in California. Oregon and Washington are apt to have too much moist, hot weather toward harvest. Xew York's climate is quite favorable on the average of years, but winterkilling is common. A climate in which corn (maize) does its best, is, in the United States, about right for hops, but, as Clark truly says, a great many soils and climates that are good for corn are bad for hops. English yards suffer most seriously from too much atmospheric moisture. The same is often true in Europe. Yet the tables of humidity, tem- 61 02 THE HOP. perature and precipitation afford no guide to climatic adaptability to the hop. Yield, quality and price fluc- tuate quite regardless of meteorological statistics. We have spent much study over this point, comparing domestic and foreign weather figures with crop data, Ki ^1 .\ :y t^: s-v i, I FIG. 25. TANK FOR DIPPING HOP POLES TO PREVENT ROT. Steppingtoii hop farm, near Canterbury, Kent, Englaiul. but without being able to draw therefrom conclusions of any practical value. THE BEST SOIL FOR HOPS This important subject has been considered for the present work by Prof. E. W. Plilgard, director of the California experiment station, whose knowledge of soils is not excelled, and who writes as follows: CLIMATE AND SOIL FOR HOPS. 63 California — "As to Sacramento county: Hops are grown almost wliolly on the higher alluvial lands of the Sacramento river, which are gray, pulverulent, silty or sandv lands, with scarcely any noticeable change from soil to subsoil for several feet. Most of these lands lie near the river, where the land is higher than farther out; but some of the 'bench lands' beyond the over- sowed region also \ield excellent hops of the yellow- silky character, while low-lying lands, not so well drained, yield a green product, which is less valued in commerce. "As to Sonoma county and a portion of Mendo- cino to northward, the hop-growing lands are in the main the higher alluvial lands of the Russian river, greatly resembling in their nature those of the Sacra- mento just referred to; they are grayish, silty soils, uniform to several feet depth, well drained and of high fertility The town of Hopland in southern Mendo- cino on the Russian river is one of the prominent grow- ing centers, yielding a very high quality. "In Alameda county only a small area is devoted to hop culture. It is located near the towns of Pleas- anton and Sunol on the alluvial lands of Alameda creek, which are likewise of a fine sandy or silty character and well drained, as there is but little water in the stream beds in summer, and their banks are high. "The oldest hop-growing region in the Pacific northwest is the valley of the Puyallup river in Pierce county, Washington. Here also the soils are alluvial ones, of a sandy or silty nature, of gray tint, very easily tilled and of considerable depth above bottom water, say from seven to ten feet. The Puyallup bottom was originally quite heavily timbered. "The lands where the hop is grown in King county. Wash., lie on the lower Cedar and Dwamish rivers, and to northward on the borders of Lake Wash- ington to the Snoqualmie river. Like all the lands of 64 THE HOP. the Puget Sound region, these lands are of a Hght and sometimes sandy nature; the sand consists of the pul- verized rock of the Cascade range adjacent/' In Oregon, the hop lands of the Willamette valley generally are light yellowish loams of great depth, and even the alluvium of the streams, like the Santiam, bears much the same character, though commonly lighter in texture than the lands of the main valley. It is conceded in Oregon that soil of a sandy nature pro- duces the best quality, while the heaviest yield is to be obtained from the heavier bottom lands composed of decayed vegetation and deposits of sediment, brought down from the uplands and spread over this soil by the overflowing of the streams. The most perfect soil is a sandy loam which is easy to cultivate and is rich enough to produce a good crop of choice hops without the aid of fertilizers. In Neiv York State, and indeed everywhere, a deep sandy loam is preferred, the deeper the better for a crop with such a deep-growing root system. A clayey loam is also excellent if it contains enough sandy loam to prevent baking and packing during drouth. A strong loam in which corn thrives is generally good for hops, provided it is w'ell drained. Its shallow root system enables corn to do well over a subsoil that would be too wet for hops, which also dislike too much gravel in the soil or a hardpan subsoil. In Great Britain, the variation and yield in quality of hops in different soils, even between adjoining fields, is often most marked. This is equally true in New York state, Otsego and Schoharie counties usually pro- ducing the best hops. In New York, as in England, the lands now under hops have proven to be the best after centuries of hop-growing. The limits of the Eng- lish hop lands are sharply defined geologically. In the finest East Kent region, says Whitehead, the soil is clay, loamy clay, and sandy loam upon tlie CLIMATE AND SOIL FOR HOPS. 65 Thanet, Woolwich and Oldhaven beds, which crop up here and overUe the chalk on the backbone of Kent. As the chalk appears again with a thin and gradually decreasing surface of loam, the hop land becomes less valuable, and at a short distance from this point hops are not cultivated at all until the bastard East Kent district begins, where the hops produced are of inferior quality as compared with East Kent hops proper, being grown upon useful, somewhat heavy soils, lying for the most part upon the belt of gault alternating with the Folkestone beds intervening between the chalk and the weald clay. Below Canterbury there is a district between Challock and Barham where hops of first-class quality are grown, upon loams of a lighter character resting on the chalk. The crops here are not so heavy as those yielded on the deep loam and brick earth in the Faversham district of East Kent, and the plants will not take such long poles, but the quality is most excellent. The "weald of Kent" is so named because of its soils resting largely on the geological formation called weald clay; they are clayey loams, sandy clays, more or less tenacious and stifT (these latter require expensive drainage), with occasional patches of loam and alluvium. So, too, in Germany, the hop is more grown on clayey soils, well drained, than the average American planter would think possible. In Saatz and other famous Bohemian districts the soil is a reddish clay containing considerable iron, elevated about 800 ft above sea level and protected from cold north winds. LOCATION OF A HOP YARD Let it be naturally protected against prevailing wind storms, especially from the north and west. A heavy wind will badly whip the vines. (See "lewing," in Chapter X.) Very often this point is quite neg- 66 THE HOP. 6 CLIMATE AND SOIL FOR HOPS. G7 Jected in setting a hop yard, when it might just as well have been attended to. Of course the site must be sunny and warm, and chosen with reference to the least possible danger from early and late frosts. The rows should run in a south- erly direction, that the sun may freely penetrate the foliage to the utmost extent. The main root is a deep feeder, its lateral and sur- face roots covered with fine rootlets that utilize the food in the upper layers of soil. Hence the need of a well drained soil — the hop abhors wet feet — and a soil of open texture, that air and water may freely penetrate, to aid in rendering available to the plant the elements stored up in the earth. Yet so gross a grower must have a suf^ciency of moisture and drouthy lands may well be provided witli irrigation. PREPARATION OF THE SOIL for a new hop yard is a more serious matter where the soil is not of just the right character. In Kent, expen- sive underdraining is often necessary to insure the needed openness of subsoils. Comparatively light yields in New York and in Germany are partly due to a moist or impacted subsoil. In such lands, thorough subsoiling to a depth of i8 inches, or even more, should precede planting. It is not much practiced, l^ut is to be highly recommended. If subsoiling is needed for the sugar beet, which is dug in one season, how much more is it needed for the hop, whose roots go much deeper, but are not disturbed for from six to twenty years, or longer? It has also been suggested that subsoiling between the rows in early spring would be an admirable wav of rejuvenating an old "root-bound" yard, at least on heavy soils. But Clark, speaking for New York con- ditions, says: *'T disagree very strongly with subsoiling between the rows, or even deep plowing of an estab- 68 THE HOP. lished yard, as that space is filled with large bed roots, and deep culture cuts them off, which is very injurious. I have seen them i6 feet long in my own yard. Otten- heimer says that for the Pacific coast, plowing deep when setting out the yards is right, but afterward it is injurious to subsoil each spring." The tendency is also to slight the surface plowing for a new hop yard, just as thorough working of the soil preparatory to seeding down to grass for several years is too commonly neglected. While experts dif- fer as to the propriety of putting the plow into a yard once it is well established, every intelligent grower realizes that before the roots are set affords the best chance to thoroughly work the soil. The English realize this and practice accordingly in preparing for hops, just as they do in preparing for the permanent meadows for which old England is famous. The Ger- mans are not so particular. FIG. 27. PICKING HOPS IN KENT, ENGLAND. CHAPTER VI. FEEDING THE HOP PLANT HE hop is a rank feeder. The most of its growth is made in less than 90 days. This growth is marvelous for its luxuriance. Such luxury of foliage is necessary if the hops are to have a copious supply of properly elaborated elements in the plant to draw upon during their ma- turity. The plant must be fed for growth as well as for fruit, the one being de- pendent upon the other, but avoid such treatment as will force it to "run to vine" too much. These points have only to be recognized to realize the necessity for proper soil, appropriate fertilization and correct meth- ods of culture. Of course a virgin soil filled with fertility, or re- newed by an annual overflow or by irrigating with water naturally rich in the elements of plant food, re- quires little or no manuring. Such is the present con- dition of many of the newer yards on the Pacific coast, but it is only a question of time when even they will require manuring. How best to feed the hop on the more or less exhausted lands of the eastern states and of the old world is a problem upon which we have com- paratively little exact data. The experiment stations in Bohemia are attacking this problem, likewise the Wye Agricultural College in Kent and a little has been done in Germany, but American experiment stations 69 •TO THE HOP. seem to have largely ignored the problem of fertilizing the hop. Let ns, then, first consider the elements of plant food contained in the vines and hops of an aver- age crop, basing our table on the analyses on Page 71 FIG. 28. PICKING HOPS. and on the average relative weight per acre of vines and hops obtained from a dozen experienced growers in New York state: FEEDING THE HOP PLANT. ^ GOOD CROP OF HOPS WILL TAKE FUOM AN ACRE OF LAND Cured hops. Vines and Total leaves(air-dry) loiai. Weight of crop Nitrogreu lbs. 1,000 33 25 12 30 lbs. 1,000 25 19 7 42 lbs. 2,000 58 Polash Phosphoric Mcid Lime, magnesia & oilier ash elements 44 19 72 Tot. removed by crop 100 93 193 These are astonishing figures. Their significance can be best judged by comparison with the plant food removed from an acre by other crops under equally good culture, it being assumed that the hop vines, like potato vines and cornstalks, are returned to the soil: PLANT FOOD REMOVED FROM AN ACRE i'.\ SEVERAL CROPS CROP. Hoi)s Ha\ . Corn. 40 bii I'otatoes. Yieltl per acre 1,000 lbs 33 25 12 H tons 250 bii Nitrogen, lbs 42 45 8 41 10 16 30 I'otnsh, lbs . . Phosphoric acid ... . . 45 11 How few hop planters in New York state realize that for a good crop of hops they must manure as heav- ily as for 40 bushels of corn per acre, simply to supply what is taken from the soil by the dry hops. If we consider both vines and hops, we get this table, showing: COMPOSITION AND QUANTITY OF MANITRIAL StTBSTANCES REQUIRED TO SUPPLY WHAT AN ACItE OF HOPS TAKES FROM THE SOIL Pounds. 2,000 2.000 1,000 1,000 5 tons 100 100 Substance. Hop rrop Wlieat bran Cottonseed meal . Linseed me.al Barnyard manure. Bone meal rt AVood jvsli Will furnish NilrouHn. Potash. lbs. PI los. acid. lbs. Ihs. 58 44 19 52 32 60 70 20 30 55 14 17 50 40 30 4 — 23 50 10 rtThis weight of wood ash (containing only 12% water) will siii>]i]v the full amount of potash taken off by the liop crop (vines and hops) but no nitrogen ; the other weights given will furnish the full amount of nitrogen, but more or less of iiotash ;ind phosphoric acid than the crops take off, except in the case of bone meal. Stable manure is the form of plant food preferred by both European and American hop growers. In 72 THE HOP. compact soils horse manure is best, because of its me- chanical effect in lightening the soil as well as furnish- ing food to the plant. Sheep manure is excellent for sandy soils. Ordinary mixed stable manure is plowed under lightly in starting a new yard, when the soil is at all poor. The amount should be all one can possi- bly afford, and then a little more; no danger of getting on too much before planting a new yard. In New York from lo to 20 tons per acre of stable manure are applied in starting a new yard, in England 15 to 25 tons, and in Germany eight to 18 tons. After the yard is established, fall application of stable manure is best on most soils. The common prac- tice is to put a shovelful or two of manure on top of each hill in late autumn, to be scattered about the hill and worked into the soil at first grubbing in spring. Green (fresh) manure should not be used, as it holds the frost too long in spring, will not work readily into the soil, and interferes with cultivation. In cold regions this protects against winterkilling, and in case of drouth protects the roots by retaining moisture. The manure washes down about the roots and aids a prompt and early start, but if cold weather follows, this may result in stopping the flow of sap and arresting the growth of the plant. On very sandy soils, such dressings may be quite exhausted before the plant blos- soms out, and the vine has no reserve of fertility with which to develop its hops. In addition to this autumn manuring on the hills, a dressing of manure broadcast is highly recommended, to be worked into the soil at the first cultivating. If the soil is very light and leachy, broadcast the manure in early spring, but if fairly strong loam, midwinter spreading is best. In Germany a liberal mulch of strawy manure is often applied after cultivating is fin- ished, especially on drouthy lands. Its preservation of soil moisture is quite as useful as the food it fur- FEEDING IB J HOP PLANT. 73 nishes the plant. Such a dressing must not be so rich as to cause the plant to run to vine to the detriment of its production of hops. Comparison of the analyses printed on Page 71 with the analyses of Kent Goldings and Sussex Grape hops grown in England, shows wide variation in the total per cent, of ash of vine, leaves and cones between different varieties and even the same variety grown on different soils. We find no analyses to indicate the variation caused by different forms of plant food, but it is quite probable that the influence of the form of food upon the hop plant is more noticeable in its brew- ing qualities or its organic composition than in the proportion of ash or nitrogenous matter. This is an extremely interesting point upon which scientific exper- imentation will doubtless throw much light. On general principles, however, it would seem ex- pedient to employ the least objectionable forms of plant food, when agricultural chemicals or commercial fer- tilizers are applied. Potash is needed to excess, owing to the great de- mands upon this element by the plant, and probably the carbonate of potash, as in cottonhull ashes or un- leached wood ashes, is for many reasons preferable. Of the potash salts, the high-grade sulphate, which is much freer from chlorine than the muriate, is perhaps best. Yet, there is a large amount of chlorine in the hop, and should it be scientifically demonstrated that the presence of a liberal amount of this element was essen- tial to certain desirable qualities, then the muriate of potash would be used. There seems to be little reason for believing that one form of phosphoric acid is much better than an- other for the hop crop, provided only that it is in a form that will be available for the plant. Bone and ashes furnish both phosphoric acid and potash, but in a slow form, and as the hop is a rapid grower, and re- 74 THE HOP quires an abundance of available food early in the sea- son, it is probable that the application of potash salts and dissolved boneblack or other quick-acting phos- phate would be beneficial. This quick fertilizer should be applied very early in the spring, while bone and wood ashes should be put on in the fall. COMPOSITION OF HOP MANURING SUBSTANCES The figures show the per cent, or poiinrls of each element in 100 pomicls of tlie subsiai»ce named in first column, Substance. Wheat br.in Cottonseed meal... . Linseed meai Rape meal Barnyard manure . .. Bone meal c Boneblack dis'lved c Phosphate rock.dis. Tankage . . . . Dried blood , . Wood asli unleached Cottonliull ash Kainit ..... riMnnate of potash,. cfeSulphate o\ i)ot'sh f/Nitrale of soda cSulpliaie of am'nia Nitrojjen Potash Phos.acid Linie 2.6 1.6 3.0 2 7.0 2.0 3.0 03 5.5 1.4 1.7 0.4 5.1 1.3 20 7 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.5 4.0 0.0 23.0 31.0 0.0 00 17.0 25.0 0.0 0.0 15.0 23.0 6.7 0.0 12.0 14.0 10.0 0.0 2.0 0.8 0.0 5.0 2.0 34.0 0.0 22.0 i>.0 10 0.0 13 5 1,2 0.0 51,0 0.0 0,0 0.0 33.0 0.0 2 15.7 0.0 0.0 _ 20.5 0.0 0.0 — Magnesia (MJ 1 0.8 0.7 0.1 1.0 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.2 34 11.0 10.0 e 0.0 e 0.0 a Contains 48% chi(Mine. b No chlorine d Contains much so«la. e Traces. c Rich in sulphuric acid, The hop is a great consumer of lime, yet the ap- plication of lime to hop yards is comparatively rare. We see no reason why it is not advisable, unless the soil is known to contain an excess of lime. This ele- n^.ent is equally important in tobacco culture, where the use of lime is considered indispensable. Probably the best form is oyster-shell lime, provided it can be ob- tained at a nominal price. Otherwise, good air-slaked lime can be used, or the fine ground gypsum (land plaster); from too to 300 pounds of lime per acre, ap- plied in the fall, is sufficient, usually. Most soils prob- ably contain sufficient soda, but if not, it is a prominent composition of many potash salts. It may be desirable to add magnesia to some soils, in which case the double sulphate of potash and mag- nesia should be used instead of kainit, muriate or sul- phate of potash alone. FEEDING THE 15 OP PLANT. 75 Perhaps the most striking need of the plant is for nitrogen. We have no data to show to what extent, if any, the hop plant is able to take its nitrogen from the atmosphere, as do certain leguminous crops. But FIG. 29. IRRIGATING HOPS, MAKING A LITTLE WATER MOISTEN MANY ROWS OF PLANTS. we do know that it is a gross consumer of nitrogen and that this element must be in a promptly available form to promote the vine's luxuriant growth. Hence, the 76 THE HOP. importance of applying nitrate of soda, or sulphate of ammonia to give the crop a quick start in spring, and some less soluble form of nitrogen to back up the crop as the season advances, such as dried blood, tankage, or bone meal. In this country a few manufacturers of commer- cial fertilizers have attempted special mixtures of ag- ricultural chemicals for the hop crop, with more or less success. In England special hop fertilizers are far more common. We cannot recommend any one form- ula as the best for this crop in different soils, but the following table contains the composition of various fertilizing materials, and from the known composition of the hop plant, several mixtures are tentatively sug- gested : FORMULAS FOR MAXURING HOPS It IS fair to assume that, provided the vines are carefully returned to the soil, 1,000 lbs. per acre of cured hops will remove plant food varying within the range below stated. And to supply either of these woiild require the mixtures which follow: In 1,000 lbs of cured hops. Formula. 1 Stable manure 2J tons o ( Cottonseed meal 400 lbs ^ \ Kainit 200 '' Totals 600 lbs o ( Linseed meal •^ICottonhull ash Totals fBone meal .1 Dried blood I Sulphate potash l^Nitrate soda Totals rSxil. ammonia kJ Wheat bran ^"j AVood ash l^Muriate potash Totals 520 lbs f Phosphate rock 100 lbs I Sulphate of }>otash 60 6<( Linseed n)eal 100 I Nitrate soda 50 (^Sul ammonia 25 Totals 335 lbs 100 lbs 100 " 40 " 50 " 290 1 bs lOO lbs 200 ' 200 • 20 ' Least quantity. | Largest quantity Nitro gen Pot- ash. Phos acid. 9 Nitro gen. 38 Pot- ash. 28 Phos acid. 25 20 14 Form. 25 20 15 12 8 tons 40 32 27 24 28 4 27 600 lbs 200 " 42 18 28 31 12 800 1 bs 700 lbs 100 " 8O0'lbs 42 38 38 33 18 27 1 13 20 8 4 10 22 12 8 27 12 23 2 32 20 4 10 8 20 100 lbs 200 " 100 " 75 ^■ 4 20 12 33 23 4 22 20 25 6 4 475 lb"* 36 33 27 ~20^ 5 25 5 8 12 ~25 3 10 10 IBoTTbs 300 '• 200 " 30 " 30 8 5 10 15 9 4 23 20 1 10 680 lbs 38 30 13 15 1 100 lbs 80 •' 200 " 100 " 60 " 640 lbs 10 16 12 26 2 15 1 21 16 38 28 16 FEEDING THE HOP PLANT. Hi! Many other combinations of the ingredients men- tioned on Page 76 may be made. But in any formula, the object should be to supply the nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid in such forms that part of each element shall be available for the plant in early spring, and then from week to week, as growth advances, but not force a growth when the plant is maturing its cones. The large proportion of nitrogen contained in hop vines is wholly lost when they are burned, though the mineral elements are retained in the ash. Since this plant draws so heavily upon^soil (or air) for this most expensive element, certainly it should be retained so far as practicable by plowing under the vines, provided they are not infested with germs of disease so as to re- quire burning. Spent hops are specially rich in nitro- gen, and when they can be had for the hauling, should be spread on the ground and cultivated under. A great number of other substances are much used in England anri on the continent, such as shoddy, waste, woolen rags, fur waste, fish manure, and basic slag from phosphoric acid. Irrigation may here be prac- ticed, for it is essentially a feeding process. Xo matter how much plant food is in the soil, unless there be sufft- cient moisture, the crop cannot utilize it. jMoreover, the hop must have an abundant supply of water, be- cause nearly nine-tenths of the vine's weight consists of water. Frequent stirring of the top soil, or a mulch of strawy manure, leaves, weeds, cornstalks, or any such material, will carry a crop through a drouth that would otherwise be fatal. Where irrigation is practiced in California, the water is run through one furrow in the middle of the rows, or one on each side. Sometimes two or three such irrigations are enough, again more may be necessary, while in a Colorado hop yard, the water is turned on six to nine times. If the water sup- ply is scant, a very little can be made to irrigate a large number of plants by the device illustrated in Fig. 29. 78 THE HOP. FIG. 30. A YARD ON THE SHORT POLE SYSTEM. At Watsoiiville, Santa Cruz Co., Cal. Poles are 2x3 inches x 9 feet lon^, of split redwood, set 2 ft. in f^iound, 8 ft. apart square No wire is used, only No 18 cotton twine, which is fastened to i)ole 6 ft. from ^fonnd. The string is run in squares, and two vines are left to the hill. Vines are trained on poles up to the strint,'s. Mr. Morse allows one male vine to every 3.5 female vines; males are not pruned and are yiven 15 ft. poles to climb. They consequently {jrow very bushy, and, as they climb to the tops of the hi^h jtoles set for them, a good distribution of j»ollen is secured. This short-pole system is not to be confirmed with either the trellis system of overhead wires, or the long-pole method used in Washington, New York and England. CHAPTER VII LAYING OUT A YARD — TRAINING THE YINES OP plants are usually planted 'jy.y feet or 8x8 feet in Amer- ica and 6x6 feet in England and Europe, but the number of hills may vary from 800 to 1,200 per acre. In New York state 6J feet each way is pre- ferred by some experts. Cn the Pacific coast in very few yards are hop roots planted less than seven feet apart, and in a great many yards the rows are eight feet apart. It has been demonstrated there that just as heavy a yield can be obtained from a yard planted with the roots seven feet apart as from one 6 or 6^ feet apart, notwithstanding that in the former there are only 889 hills to the acre, while in the six-foot yard there are 1,280 hills. As the most expensive part of raising hops is the work done by hand on each root and vine, such as grubbing, tying and training, it can be readily seen that the expense to cultivate an acre of hops is consid- erably larger in a six-foot yard than in a seven-foot one. Where the trellis system is used, it requires a great deal more twine in the six-foot yard. Another objection is that a team of horses cannot pass through a six-foot yard without injuring the roots or vines. In Oregon, as well as in Sonoma county, California, nearly all the hop yards are set out with the hills eight feet apart. 79 80 THE HOi^. The method of laying out the yard is therefore much the same everywhere, though the methods of training the vines are almost "too numerous to men- tion." It is important, in any system of training, that the rows be perfectly straight to facilitate clean culture. Now, let us assume that the field is ready for stak- ing out . Set plain, distinct posts at the four corners of the plat; then take a long wire with a stake at each end, and at a distance of every seven feet tie a piece of flan- nel or cloth, to be easily seen. From one corner stake, sight in a direct line to the other corner stake, pull the wire tight and firmly set in the ground. Put in a peg about a foot long at each marker on the line and then again continue the line in the same w'ay, pegging until that side is pegged. Next, from that corner stake and at right angles, take the side to the corner stake at the other end of that side, as above described, peg- ging as you go on. Then from each of these outside rows of pegs, start to the other side, having set up a stake to sight to, seven feet distant each time. When both sides are thus completed, the field will be pegged out as illustrated in Fig. 43. The land may be marked ofif similarly by a variety of means. Mr. Clark writes: "Make a marker in the form of a bob sled, with short runners of one and one- half inch ash with a light shoe. Bore a hole through the runners about a foot from the back end and about two inches from the lower end, so as to be able to put devices In to help make better marks. The top of the marker should be made of stout ij-inch ash boards for the driver to stand upon. Place an iron handle on the center of the back so as to help in lifting the marker around at the ends of the field to the center of the front side. Fix an upright standard about four feet high for the driver to take hold of; it W'ill also serve as a guide. After fixing on a pole for a pair of horses the marker layixCt out a yard. 81 is ready. It is a good plan to have a couple of boys standing at about equal distances across the hop yard with flag stakes so that the driver, when standing on the marker, can look between the horses' heads and see the stakes. By so doing, he can make two very straight marks and also get over the ground very rapidly. The r^- (^r 'M. FIG. 31. TRAINING HOPS IN KENT. land should be marked both ways, but never with a plow, or one row will be narrow and one wide." If poles are used, one or two poles are inserted at each hill; the single pole is now most common in New York, but two poles per hill are much used abroad, leaning outward from each other so the hops will not 6 S2 THE HOP. mass together at the top. Cedar poles are most dur- able; in Washington they are sawed out or split about 3x3 inches, 16 feet or more in length, for the long pole system, and 10 feet long for the short pole. An eight- penny nail is driven in the top, projecting out about an inch, in the short or stake system; on the long pole, about a foot from its top, put through a peg a foot long and three-fourths of an inch thick for the vine to cling to. This and poles is done in the In California and Oregon the same manner as fence the sharpening of the woods or at the mill. the poles are split in rails. Redwood poles are FIG. 32. HORIZONTAL HOP YARD, NEW YORK. (|uite extensively used in California, and they last an indefinite length of time. In some yards the same poles have been used for the last 25 years. In Oregon those growers who adopt the pole system use young firs, which grow abundantly in that state. The}' aim to get a pole three inches thick and about sixteen feet long. In New York and abroad, round poles are used, from saplings, and arc not as high as those on the coast. Stand the poles upright in a tank containing two feet of creosote or coal tar, and let them simmer over a slow fire for a night; this will prevent the butts from rotting and is a big saving. Cedar, ash, redwood, chest- LAYING OUT A YARD. 83 nut, maple, oak, alder, and birch are esteemed in the order named for hop poles. On the Pacific coast, when a crop is picked the first year, poles are set before the roots are planted, which prevents injury or disturbing the roots after- ward. With a long dibble having a steel sharpened point, a hole is made, about eighteen inches deep, into which the pole is stuck and left vertical. A man will set about 600 poles per day. A short stake is set the tenth hill in ever}- tenth row to indicate wdien a male root is to be planted. In New York, England and Europe, poles are not set until the second year, care being taken to set the poles in the north side of the hill every time, as the men cultivating before the hops are up will know bet- ter where tlie hills are and w'ill not be so apt to damage them. In later years also the men when setting the poles will know better wdiere to find the old holes. For a short pole yard, the stakes could be cut (for economy's sake, split) ten or more feet long, that they may be long enough to use after once rotting off. The outside rows should have larger stakes and be set very deep and solid. Twine is run across the top of the poles both ways, being attached to the nail, or some merely wind it around the poles at a height of 7 to 7^ feet from the ground (Fig. 32). After the first year, not more than four vines should be trained to each hill by this system, and where the soil is extra heavy, tw^o will be found preferable. At the first and second trainings, all sur- plus vines should be either pulled out or cut off beneath the surface. The vines generally require training twice before reaching the twine, and the vines should be trained at least twice on the twine. In training on the twnne the first time, it is best to take the vines from the stake above the twine, and after passing them across over one twine, bring them down under the second 84 THE HOP. twine and train out on the second twine. This causes the vines to arch over the twine and prevents them from pulHng down on the twine next the stake, thereby pre- venting the twine from either breaking or stretching, which would cause the hill to slide to the ground when heavy with the weight of full-grown hops. There are several modifications of the short pole and twine method. A popular one consists of driving a nail (slanting downward) into the pole only about four feet from the ground, tying the string to the top of the next pole, and so on. Drive the nail first into the first pole in the first row, then go to the second hill in the opposite row, then back to the third hill in the first row, and so on across the yard, doing two rows FIG. 33. OTSEGO (N. Y.) GRUB HOE. at once. Begin by tying the twine to the first nail, run the top of the twine up the next pole with a ''twiner," as far as convenient, carrying it around the pole and try- ing to catch the twine over a knot to hold it; draw up the twine close, then drop from the top of the pole down to the nail in the next pole. Step up to it and give the twine a half hitch or loop around the nail, then run the twine up to the top of the next pole, down to the next, and so on across the yard, until all are finished in the same way. Then turn and go across in the same man- ner, getting the efifect shown in Fig. 3. By this sys- tem, Clark claims that more hops can be grown, they will mature earlier, be richer and brighter, will arm out lower down, and the arms will be longer and not apt to snarl up. They will fill up in the middle with soft, white, undeveloped hops and will make better pick- ing, and are not as leafy. LAYIXG OUT A YARD. 85 Still other modifications of the twine system are A used in England and on the continent, which \ are sufficiently explained in the accompanying illustrations. By whatever method twine is used in these systems, a device for tying the string about the poles is useful. It consists of a strong but light pole, eight to 12 feet long, with screw eyelets like a fly rod, and a bag or bas- ket at the bottom that will hold a ball of twine snugly (see Fig. 34). A good 12-ply cotton string is used. More permanent methods of training by means of wire trellises are con- stantly coming into wider use. The first cost of these methods is more than for the pole and twine system, but where hops are grown on a large scale, some form of wire is probably the more economical. It is claimed also that the hop vines can be kept open to the sun more thoroughly by trellises than by the string sys- tem. There is also considerable saving in labor, after the method is once established. Spraying can also be done more thoroughly I when the vines are spread out on proper trel- L lises than when they grow more closely FIG. 34. together, or simply on poles. Again, the hops TWINE are not wind-whipped as readilv; it is claimed POLE ' • that they mature earlier, can be picked cleaner, and come down in better condition. Whitehead says: "One arrangement of wires and string is much adopted in East Kent. It consists of stout posts set at the end of every row of hop stocks, and fastened with stays to keep them in place. At cer- tain intervals in each row a post of similar size is fixed. From post to post in the rows wires are stretched at a height of half a foot from the ground and at a height of six feet from the ground, and again from the tops of each post; so that there are three lengths of wire in all. 86 THE HOP. Upon these wires, hooks are fastened or 'cHpped' at regular intervals, so that cocoanut fiber string can be threaded onto them horizontally from the lower to the next wire, and in a vertical direction from this wire to the top lateral wire of the next row. The string as threaded on the hooks is continuous, no knots are nec- essary, and it is put on the hooks of the top wires with a 'stringer.' The first cost of this is about $200 per acre." Another method is that shown in Fig. 35, and practiced extensively in England and Germany. By Bop Pto»><.V.>^rv^v 'lop /'iant-V.Ki^"-"* Hop rianti FIG. 35. KEXTISH WIRE TRELLIS. this method, wires are fastened only to the tops of the posts, and twine is run down to pegs in the ground, these being more simple and less expensive than the system just described. The stay pole, or what the English call "the dead man," must be very firmly set and the end pole braced to it by wire. In New York this method is further simplified by setting poles 18 to 20 inches deep every sixth hill, running a single wire along them from nine to 15 feet above ground, and two strings only running into a small, wooden or wire plug driven firmly near the hop plant. The latter idea LAYING OX'T A YARD. 87 has been still further improved upon by the Pleasanton Hop Company, Alameda county, California. As this concern is one of the largest hop growers in the world, and has made many improvements in the industry, we are fortunate in being able to devote Chapter IX to an exact statement of its modus operandi, carefully pre- pared for this work by Mr. Davis, superintendent of the Pleasanton Hop Company. FIG. 36. KENTISH HOP YARDS. Two poles to a hill and string. 88 THE HOP. Fia. 37. THE HOP ROOT STOCK. ^ ivTQin ted fact that those growers who are free from wild plum trees and have their yards on PESTS OF THE HOP CROP. 127 the upland usually have less mold than growers with yards along lake shores In Oregon, the damage was greater in 1890, two years after the introduction of the insect, than it has been since, with the possible exception of 1897. In 1891 there was less injury than in 1890; 1897 was a year of considerable damage, the extent varying from 2 per cent, of the crop in one yard to 95 per cent, in another. The average loss, the state entomologist FIG. 63. HOP GRUB a, Segment of larva; h, larva; r, pupa; , holes in leaf due to punctures by the Anthocoris, a somewhat similar insect. tree to the vines, and cause them to die after feeding on the tobacco. In 1895, much injury was done in England by the needle-nosed hop bug (Fig. 73), which with its long, sharp proboscis (Fig 73, h) punctured the tender parts of the vine (Fig. 74), not only drawing out the sap, but leaving a wound that bled and weak- ened the vine. The only thing that disabled them was 12 pounds of soft soap to 100 gallons of water (or of PESTS or THE HOP CROP, 145 ^\:ii ^:^^^m .;^,- ^^^nS&Tvi^- r- i '" ,f' .■■■ Vf^: -^ 11^ II- 10 FIG. 75. AN EELWORM DISEASE OF HOPS. [For explanation, see Page 147.] 14 G THE HOP. Other washes) sprayed on a dull day, when the bugs are less active; they are best treated during the wingless stage early in the season. Prof. Jno. R. Smith lays as much stress now upon ladybirds for destroying hop lice as in 1887, when he first called attention to them and their larvae known as ''niggers." "Three species are found in abundance on hop vines. The most numerous is the two-spotted ladybird {Adalia hipunctata), a small red species, with two black spots on the wing covers. Next comes the nine-spotted ladybird {Cocci- nelhr 9-notafa), a larger species, with nine black spots on its yellowish-red wing covers, and least numerous of all is the twice-stabbed ladybird (Chiloconts hinihwrus), smaller thaa either, entirely black, except two blood-red spots on the wing covers. The larvae of these species are all very much alike, and of an elongated, flat form, tapering toward the tip, with six legs; of a grayish-black color, spotted and marked with red or yellow. They are very active and very rapacious, feeding almost continually, and each larva destroys many lice before attaining maturity. When full- grown, they attach themselves by the tail to a leaf, curl up into a round pellet, and in a few days transform into the per- fect beetle, which also feeds on the aphis, but is not so voracious as the larva. There are several broods of the insect in the season, the last transforming into the perfect insect about the middle or toward the end of September. "The beetles hibernate in crevices of fences, under bark of trees, or stones, or wherever else they can find shelter, and reappear in spring to continue the work where they left off the year before. Were it possible to preserve a sufficient number of these insects through the winter, so that a goodly number of them would be on hand in early spring, the lice would never become numerous enough to do injury; as it is, but few survive the winter, and before they become numer- ous the lice, propagating more rapidly, become so plentiful that they are beyond control. But, seriously, there is no reason why these coccinellids cannot be wintered. They become very numerous in fall, and several hundreds of them could be collected without difficulty, put into a large box with plenty of loose rubbish, and kept in some cool place not exposed to the fiercest cold, nor yet so warm as to cause them to become active- a barn or cellar would answer. The box should be covered so as to prevent the entrance of spi- derS; which would feed on them. In spring, the box could be placed in the open air, and the insects would then scatter through the yards in search of suitable places to deposit eggs. I firmly believe that this could be done without much PESTS OF THE HOP CROP. 147 trouble, and that it would prove the best possible remedy to prevent the spread of or damage by the aphides." The eelworm disease causes sickly looking bines and curling of the leaf. The trouble is due to a minute eelworm, which slits and injures the delicate rootlets. The accompanying cut (Fig. 75) is from The Journal of the Wye Agricultural College for April, 1895. I shows the leaves, smaller in size than usual, a under, b upper, surface, showing characteristic curling of edges and FIG. 76. THREADS OF HYPHAE OF HOP MOLD {Sphcerotheca castagnei). Summer, or active stage, a. Erect hypha, giving rise to chains of spores (conidia). b. Free "spore" (conidium). puckering of veins; natural size. II, Cross-section of leaf, enlarged forty times, showing abnormal tissue. Ill, As in II, showing further growth of tissue at side of midrib. IV, Cross-section of root, natural size, and V, lengthwise section, both showing effect of stem- eelvv^orm {l\dcnchus dci'astatrix). VI, Hop rootlet with attached females of eelworm (Hcfcrodcra scJiacJitii), almost natural size. VII, Magnified cross-section of rootlet, showing eelworms at work. VIII, a, female 148 THE HOP. eelworm; b, ditto, broken, showing eggs and larvae. IX, Eggs at different stages, and the young worm, magnified 250 times. Dig out and burn infected plants. Lime, one-half ton per acre, or sulphate of potash, 200 to 400 pounds per acre, are the remedies suggested. FUNGOUS PESTS BLIGHT, MOLDS, ETC. "Fire blast'* and "red rust" are not common in the United States, and the latter at least is due to an insect (the red spider) rather than to a fungus. Mildew and mold are also comparatively rare, though the FIG. 77. ASCOCARPS OF "HOP MOLD." Autumn, or resting stage. Highly magnified. attacks of lice often cause a blackened condition igno- rantly called **mold." Mildew is one of the worst pests in England, and in damp seasons is almost equally de- structive in Europe. The best account of the hop mold or its treatment is Percival's, in the Journal of the Wye (Kent) Agricultural College, under whose direction the test has been carefully studied and experimented with. Symptoms — Tn the earliest stages, the mold is seen as small^ light-colored patches, chiefly upon the upper surface of the leave?. If the nights are cold and damp and the hop plants in a backward or weakened condition, the patches PESTS OF THE HOP CROP. l-iO soon increase in size, generally regularly from a center, so that the spots are approximately circular. As the patches increase to about one-eighth of an inch across, they become whiter in color (Fig. 76), and have a dusty or floury appear- ance. Fresh spots show themselves on the younger leaves and in bad cases the malady spreads from the lower leaves, where it is generally first seen, to those higher on the plant and even to the tender shoots and young hops. In all cases the plants suffer in health, but it is only when the tender shoots and young growth are attacked that serious damage is done. The young hops and tips of the laterals on the bine then lose their soft, succulent character and become deformed; the parts attacked dry up, and develop- ment is stopped. Often the white patches of mold do not spread; the spots lose their dusty appearance and vanish, leaving behind always a small yellow or brown dead place upon the leaf attacked. More frequently, however, if the mold is allowed to remain unchecked, and the weather is unfavorable to the growth of the hop plant, the patches, especially on the lower surface of the leaves and on the young hops, become covered with extremely small, dark, rusty-brown specks, and the white, dusty character of the spot gradually disappears. The time at which mold is first observed varies with the season. Gardens once seriously attacked and neglected are always specially liable to an annual recurrence of the disease, unless measures are taken to get rid of the trouble. Cause — The ordinary symptoms can readily be seen and followed by the naked eye, but the exact cause and process of development can only be appreciated fully after making observations with a good microscope. A mold spot in its early stages is then seen to be made up of a tangled mass of branching threads (hyphae). The threads are clear, transparent, hollow tubes, filled with living substance (protoplasm), and constitute the body or spawn (mycelium) of a fungus, known as SphacrotJieca castagnei, which is one of a large class known as "true," or "surface" mildews. Careful observations show that the threads are not merely resting on the surface of the leaf, like a tangled skein of cotton upon a table; they cannot be blown away or washed off, as at various points they are attached by short suckers (haustoria) which just penetrate into the substance of the leaf and serve the double purpose of holding the fungus in its place and acting as roots to suck up and convey the sap from the hop plant into its own body. The spawn of the fungus or mold thus lives upon the substances manufactured in the hop leaf, and is enabled to grow and spread. Not long after the fungus threads are established, they send up into the air short branches which give rise in a little time to rows or chains of minute oval-shaped bodies (Fig. 76a). known as spores (conidia). These spores, which for ordinary 150 THE HOP. purposes may be looked upon as "seeds," are very small. They soon fall oft" the branch producing them (Fig. 16b), and by their number — many thousands in a single mold spot — increase the mealy appearance of the aft'ected part. Being necessarily very light, many are blown about by the wind. Under proper conditions of moisture and temperature each one can germinate in a few hours and produce a small thread which fastens itself to the leaf of the hop and begins a new mold spot. We can thus understand how quickly and silently mold can spread in a garden. From one small patch several thousands can arise in a few days by the production and dissemination of these spores by the wind, much as thistles and other weeds may be spread about the country after seeds are produced. The germination of spores, and the FIG. 78. SINGLE ASCOCARP. 5, Burst, showing a'^cus. a, With its contained ascospores. c, Free ascospores. Highly magnified. growth of spawn producing more spores, can be repeated over and over again in a few day?, and it is in this way that the mold spreads during the summer. The spores and spawn, such as we have mentioned, are short lived and cannot exist through the winter. The fun- gus, however, in autumn, or when the leaf upon which it is living begins to die, produces upon its body of threads small round cases containing another kind of spore, which has the power of resting during winter, and when fully developed, these round cases (ascocarps. Fig. 77) are dark brown in color, or almost black, and give a rusty appearance to mold spots which have been allowed to develop un- checked, especially those on the underside of leaves and on PESTS OF THE HOP CROP 151 the young hop cones. They are hollow, and constructed somewhat like a football, that is, one case inside another. The outer case is made of dark brown, strong material (Fig. 786), and acts as a protective coat for the delicate, transparent, pear-shaped case (ascus) inside (Fig. 78^/). The latter contains within it eight spores (Fig. 78c) (ascospores) about the shape and size as those produced upon the upright threads mentioned above, only they do not germi- nate so readily. These double cases, with their spores, are produced in large numbers in late summer or autumn in a badly affected garden, and fall upon the ground with the dead leaves, and the spores within are shot out into the air, and are carried to the young bines and leaves, which are then grov/ing from the hill. Thus we see why it is that mold generally commences close to the ground and spreads upwards, and why there are "moldy places" in the gardens, where the malady begins almost every year. Remedies — It will be understood from the fore- going accoLuit that we are dealing with a living pest, and that it is just as impossible to create "mold" as it is to manufacture aphides or lice. Various methods of cultivation and treatment of the hop plant and gar- den may be condticive to the growth and development of the "mold" fungus, but unless its spores are present or are introduced into the garden from outside, spots cannot occur. Whatever remedies are adopted, it is absolutely essential that they should be begun early, as neglect means failure. The pest soon becomes established and is then difficult to eradicate. I. Although the complete destruction of hop mold is unattainable, every effort should be made to diminish its prevalence by burning all badly affected vines and leaves. This practice should especially be carried out in cases after a bad attack, where the hops have been not worth picking on account of moldiness. The vines should on no account be left lying about, as the spore cases are produced in thousands and fall upon the ground, only to remain a certain source of infection for succeeding years. The application of gypsum to the soil is said to be beneficial in such circumstances, but no trustworthy experiments upon this matter have 152 THE HOP. been carried out. Possibly lime might help to destroy the spore cases. 2. Certain varieties of hops seem to be specially liable to suffer from this trouble, but apart from possi- ble inherent differences in the plants, more careful manuring should be adopted in order to produce a healthy growth. Excessive amounts of nitrogenous manures make the leaves more readily attackable by mold. Anything which reduces the vitality of the hop — such as cold and damp nights, long continued drouth, or wet weather and want of proper amount of sunshine and fresh air — indirectly aids mold in its rav- ages. It is generally in '*housed-in" parts where the air is still and damp and where light does not easily penetrate that the worst effects are seen. Systems of training hops should aim at reducing these drawbacks to a minimum. Early training of the lower part of the bine diminishes the likelihood of attack from the soil and also allows of better air circulation. 3. The hop-mold fungus not only lives upon hops, but also upon many wild plants — groundsel, dan- delion, strawberry, avens, meadow sweet, and many others. There is little doubt that it is from such sources outside the yard that many attacks of mold are begun. 4. The fungus lives and develops almost entirely upon the outside of the leaf, and on this account it would appear more easy to deal with it by means of washes and external applications of powdered sub- stances that those cases like the potato disease, where the growth of the fungus goes on chiefly inside the leaf. The application by hand or bellows or by spe- cially constructed sulphurators of finely powdered sul- phur to the affected leaf is a remedy for mildews of various kinds, which has been employed for about half a century. Mechanically powdered sulphur — roll brimstone PESTS OF THE HOP CROP. 153 reduced to a finely pulverized state, by hand or machin- erv — acts better than that form known as "flowers of sulphur," obtained by condensation of its vapor or by precipitation processes. In any case, the substance acts in two ways (i) as a fungicide — that is, a definite destroyer of the mold; and (2) as a protection against further attacks and spreading, as spores will not ger- minate upon a sulphured leaf. It is chiefly as a protector that sulphur is so bene- ficial, and on this account every endeavor should be made to distribute it upon the youngest growth. As a direct fungicide, it possesses little effect, and even for this small l)enefit it must be repeated frequently where mold is bad. The best results w^ith sulphur are ob- served when the temperature is above 78 degrees F., and it is, therefore, usually applied with success on clear, bright, hot days, usually in the middle of the day, or early morning when the leaves are partially damp wdth dew. In cold weather it is nearly useless, and in wet days the sulphur is soon washed off the leaf. The general explanation of its action is that the sulphur be- comes oxidized, with the ultimate formation of sulphur- ous acid, and this latter substance is credited with the destroying effect upon the mold. Sulphurous acid, however, in exceedingly minute quantities, has a del- eterious influence upon the hop leaf itself. Some ex- periments have indicated the formation of sulphureted hydrogen. The fact that sulphur works most benefi- cially on hot days, and also that the odor of a sulphured garden is not like that of either sulphur dioxide or sulphureted hydrogen, but resembles that of roll-brim- stone itself, suggests that sulphur vapor may be the active agent. The possibility that the action is a me- chanical one must also be borne in mind. Some author- ities state almost any fine powder will do, that road- scrapings, brick-dust, chalk, and ordinary flour work as well as sulphur. 154 THE HOP. 5. Under the assumption that sulphur has some specific action upon the fungus, various sokible com- pounds containing the ingredient are employed, chiefly the sulphides of sodium, calcium, and potassium ("liver of sulphur"). These substances are, undoubt- edly, of considerable use in checking and destroying molds of all kinds. They are readily soluble in water, and are generally applied in the ordinary washes of soft soap and quassia at the rate of i J or two pounds per 100 gallons of wash. A wash of this description, fol- lowed by an application of powdered sulphur, is per- haps the most effective and safe means known at present for an attack of mold. The alkaline sulphides in solution do not keep well, unless air is excluded from the ves- sels in which they are kept. Practically all mold washes have, as a basis, one or more of the above sul- phides in conjunction with substances like glycerine, which tend to keep the wash upon the leaf till if has done its work, and whi^h also prevent too rapid oxi- dation of the active ingredient. Although the prepara- tion of washes is not difficult, a certain amount of chemical and botanical knowledge is essential to avoid damaging the plants, and until this is obtained it is perhaps the wisest plan to obtain chemicals or washes prepared ready for use from experienced manufacturers. Many other substances, notably preparations of copper (Bordeaux mixture, "Fostite,'* talc and finely powdered copper sulphate), have a more certain effect in destroying mold, but the application to hops is scarcely feasible on account of their somewhat poison- ous properties. There are various definite chemical and physical difl^ercnces between the cells and cell-walls of the hop leaf and the substance of ''mold" fungus, and it should be possible to construct a wash or fungicide dependent upon these dififerences. This, however, remains to be PESTS OF THE HOP CROP. 155 accomplished, but until it is effected, washes and appli- cations of powders will be uncertain in their action. To the following may be added Whitehead's sum- mary: The action of sulphur is materially influenced by conditions of weather. It is more powerful in heat, when volatilization takes place, and appears to be in- operative' in dull, cold seasons. It should always be put on the plants in sunny, still weather, if possible, and as soon as they have got well over the poles. Another sulphuring should be given in about three weeks, and a third later on, especially if there are any traces of mildew upon the "burr." Should the fungus attack the cones when developing or when they are out, sulphur must be used again, though, if possible, this shoiild be avoided, as brewers object sometimes to hops that have been sulphured when fully out. The quantity of sulphur applied for mildew varies from 40 to 60 pounds per acre, according to its lightness and quality. In France, very small quantities are put on at a time, with hand bellows, or soufflets. Sulphate of copper solutions have been tried by a few hop planters for mildew, but as yet no definite conclusions have been reached. A hop blight more or less common in America, but not injurious is Ci/UHdrosporiiini humuli, E & E. A prominent leaf spot on the hop is rhijUosticta hum nil, S. & S. Halstead has found an anthracnose of the genus ColrtotrivJiinn, which causes blotches in the leaves, that turn white and fall away, leaving the foliage full of holes. In Oregon, the hop root bruised is apt to develop a fungus growth called "black knot." If cut off promptly it does no material damage, but if allowed to grow will cause the root to die in a couple of years. OTHER PESTS Late frosts in spring may be partly guarded against by hilling up the young vines. Early frosts in fall may be mitigated by spraying with cold water, or by thick clouds of smoke from bonfires when frost threatens. Hail, wind and flood often do much damage. If 156 THE HOP. Q W W m ^ ner - Carbon Duplicate kept ^CouNl'^^ ^y t^® Company governs cM 9006 G^^^""^"^- Picker No Weleht ^Vl/(»<>.../gc. Amount S.A.1N[TL ON I-iOF^ C:0' FIG. 85. 18. No camping in hops. 19. No teams tied or fed on the hop l.eld. 20. No smoking while picking or near others at work. PICKERS, ATTENTION As checks are cashed for exact amount indicated, pick- ers sliould see that trades people give them the full benefit thereof, either entire value of checks or make change to the exact cent. weighers' instructions 1. Weighers are also "field bosses," and as such fore- men have full charge of their respective sections, they must see that all work is properly done and the picking rules ad- hered to. 2. To properly regulate the "give and take" of half pounds, will take the one-half pounds on morning's picking. HARVESTING THE CROP. 167 and allow ene-half pounds in afternoon's weighing. Weights must be accurate. 3. Non-negotiable, non-transferable memorandum weight credit slips (subject to the picking rules and all charges against the party to whom issued) will be given for morning's picking. 4. Negotiable checks are to be issued for the afternoon's picking, but no single check is to exceed 99 cents. 5. Where the afternoon weight of any picker calls for payment of more than 99 cents, then several checks are to be made out; where possible, for even amounts, making divisions by 100, 75, 50 or 25 lbs. 6. No checks are to be issued for less than 10 cents. PIGK&RS WEIGHT MEMORflNDUitt Retain This Ticket, it Must be Surrendered at Adjustmen* ^ ^SAyV^v N ot Transferabl e. i^HOPCO.^ This Slip has No Negotiable * runirrunnc * VaSue; it is simply intended ^ CnUILLliLlrJ f as a weight credit tally, and ^ U.S.A. <^ i^ subject to the Company's ^CounTS^^ Rules and all charges against Bthe party to whom issued. E .A. es .A. isi ro isi FIG. 86. 7. Weighers can hold checks for those pickers who do not wish to take them at the scales. These must be put in individual marked envelopes left at owner's risk in the office safe. 8. Issue no checks that show alterations of any kind. If mistakes are made in writing, mark "VOID" across detail line and turn in cancelled originals with duplicates. 9. Weighers will distribute sacks, charging same to pickers, and credit same when returned, noting against the scratched number^ the letters "A" or "P," to indicate whether same were returned with morning or afternoon picking (and date of return when not brought in on the same day). 10. Review "sack charges'" daily, to make sure that pickers are not getting more sacks than they absolutely need. 168 THE HOP. 11. Tag sacks with picker's number before weighing hops. 12. Report to office all charges for baskets and sacks not returned. 13. Report cause of quitting of such pickers who stop work or are discharged. 14. Weighers must see that all hops picked in the fore- noon are "weighed in" by noon. Likewise, all afternoon pickings must be taken to scales when work is stopped. No hops to remain in baskets or sacks during the lunch hour or over night. 15. Arrange "carbon duplicates" according to picker's number, and file each morning's and afternoon's tickets iii distinct bunches for reference. The above rules at first reading may seem severe, but a thorough system of direction in the field and an occasional fine reported from the kilns when the hops are dumped against the "number" of a carelessly picked sack are a salutary lesson to an entire section FIG. 87. "set" for four pickers. and therefore few fines are necessary. Rule 3 may seem ardtious, but as employment lists are closed when the company has a proper complement of pickers, it must insist that those who engage remain until the en- tire crop is harvested. Few wish to quit and the rule is of course not enforced where there is a good cause for quitting, in which event, the picker is paid in full. So, too. Rule 6 is dependent upon the circumstances of discharge. The price for picking agreed upon by the growers is generally based upon the prospective value of the crop. But these agreements do not always hold good, as there is apt to be a strife to get pickers after harvest commences, as but few growers get all the pickers they have engaged and there is always some one short of HARVESTING THE CROP. 169 pickers, and for the sake of getting their crop har- vested quickly they will offer an advance above their neigh]:)or. The other growers will be compelled to meet this advance or lose a part of their pickers. To such an extent has this been carried on that in Wash- FIG. WEIGHING HOPS (California). ington during 1896-7 many growers paid as much and in many cases more for picking than the crop brought them when sold. This trouble prevails more or less everywhere. Many hop yards are managed by renters, who harvest their crops upon money borrowed i;0 THE HOP. from the banks upon the owner's indorsement, and therefore if hops are worth only a small margin above the cost of harvesting, renters, seeing th^y may be unable to make anything, and having nothing to lose, do not care how much the harvesting costs. In America, from 70 cents to $1.25 per 100 pounds of green hops has been the range of late years, mostly 80 cents to $1, but v$i.25 may be paid when hop values are up and pickers scarce. For the '97 crop, the Pleasanton Company paid 80 cents the first week, 90 cents the second, and $1 the third week, against 70, 80 and 90 cents the previous season, whereas $i straight may be paid in a prosperous season. In Eng- land, pickers are paid 2^ cents to 6 cents per bushel, averaging4cents; as a bushel weighs about five pounds, these prices are equivalent to from 50 cents to $1.20 per 100 pounds, or an average of 80 cents. In Germany, cost of picking is still less, and in many cases quite nominal. An average picker will pick from 80 to 125 pounds of hops per day — 6 a. m. to 6 p. m., — fast ones picking as high as 200 pounds under favorable conditions, but rapidity is apt to be at the expense of cleanliness. A loo-pound box of green hops will shrink to about 25 pounds of cured hops. Careful data from Pleasanton result in this statement: "As the hops grow riper, pickers cannot get such good results, whereas the more mature hops lose less weight on the kilns and there- fore better pay is possible. In other words, the hops grow lighter in weight on the vines and dry out less on the kilns as the season advances, and while it re- quires about 3I pounds of green hops at the earlier stages of picking, hardly 3^ pounds are necessary toward the close of harvest to make one pound of dried hops, or an average of about 3J pounds, when the crop is properly handled. This at the normal price of $1 per 100 pounds for green hops would make the pick- HARVESTING THE CROP. 171 ing alone of one pound of^ dried hops represent 3^ cents." In handling a large harvest, as at Pleasanton, the help are divided off into gangs or sections of 200 pick- ers each (in '97 eight such gangs were needed, "A" to FIG. 89. ELEVATING HOPS TO KILN. "H" inclusive), which are in charge of the ''weigher" and an assistant known as the "field boss." The weigher, as his title implies, weighs the hops, which are brought to the scales by pickers, and issues checks 172 THE HOP. (Figs. 85 and 86). He also distributes baskets and sacks and makes all reports to the office. He is the real "field boss." His assistant, the "acting field boss," circulates among the pickers to direct their work and see that the rules are strictly observed. On a smaller scale, the same general practice is followed elsewhere. When the picker's box is full it is delivered to the weighman, or measurer, who gives the picker a check for it and retains the duplicate stub for the book- keeper, who compares same with the record of receipts at the kiln. In small yards, tab is kept in a book by the measurer. The best system to avoid all possibility of error is to have a paying machine like a cash regis- ter. The tickets are issued from automatic triplicating machines, the printed form (Fig. 86) going to pickers, the duplicate being retained by weigher for reference, while a secret triplicate roll remains locked in the ma- chine, which can be opened only in the office and from which postings are made to individual accounts and from which also daily recapitulations are made on add- ing machines. By the high trellis system (Fig. 48), the pickers cut the strings and vines off from the wires 18 feet above ground by means of a knife on a long pole; then pick off the hops from the reclining vines, which can be readily handled. Sometimes in England and Ger- many, the hop vine is taken down and stretched on hooks in the posts only five feet above ground. On the short pole system, cut the vine just below the hops and in the string above, slide the bearing vine down the poles, then pick. On the long-pole system, the pole- puller will cut the vine two to five feet above ground, and draw the pole gently, laying it on a crotch (Fig. 83) for the picker — not over the box, as the leaves would drop in fast. The simplest means of taking out a pole is to pass a chain or rope around it close to the ground, through which a lever is passed, and with a block of HARVESTING THE CROP. 173 wood as a fulcrum the lever is thrust deeper as the pole is raised. Numerous efforts have been made to perfect a hop-picking machine. It is only a question of time be- fore some device of the kmd will become practical, if, indeed, one or two machines are not already worthy of general introduction. They will doubtless be so altered and improved, however, that it hardly seems expedient to devote more space to them here. When the harvest is completed, the poles should be carefully piled or stacked, all vines and strings col- lected and burned to destroy eggs of insects or fungi (or the vines may be used as stated on Pages 21 and ']']), and the plants dunged with stable manure if the land is at all poor. Many are careful not to cut the vines at the bottom, where the trellis system is used, but let them remain until killed by frost, in order to mature the root, when the vines are cut and gathered. Sometimes the vines are cut into short pieces and plowed under. FIG. 90. TENT TRAINING. lU THE HOP. FIG. 91. IMPROVED ENGLISH OAST. This represents the most modern construction and all the latest improvements in vogue in England. Erected for Mr. W. Lillvwhite, Winoheap Farm, Can- terbury, Kent. From a photograph taken for this book by R. M. Elvy. k ^^ ^^.=J1-Ljccv^ CHAPTER XII KILNS FOR CURING HOPS N Germany, the growers merely air-dry or sun-dry their hops. This is partly because the average grower has too small a hop yard to warrant a kiln, and also be- cause the German trade pre- fers the present system. In Germany, if a specially fitted drying room has been set apart for the purpose, the large baskets or sacks are at once carried there and emp- tied, but if no such room is available, the hops are deposited upon screens exposed to the sun but shel- tered from the wind, and in the evening, they are removed to an airy barn and at once spread on the floor. When hops are dried by this latter method, the walls and roof should be thoroughly cleaned and dusted beforehand, and the floor well scrubbed with soap and water, so that all dirt, vermin and bad smells are removed. Drying is done by aeration, and dust must be carefully excluded. It cannot be urged too forcibly tliat lofts or barns in which hops are dried must be perfectly clean and sweet. In any case, the large baskets, filled or not, must be emptied twice during the day, for if the hops are left closely packed logether for more than six hours, fermentation sets in and the qual- ity deteriorates. It is claimed that this "natural cure" preserves far more of the essential oils and other brewing principles 175 176 THE HOP -0 / 1 r= ^^ ^^ ^r=: f \ ^«-^ — \ 1 ' 1 HI i: 1 \ /^ 1 ? 1 |t=1ref "" ms — X. 1 p^l , \-r\ n A B FIG. 92. SECTION OF GROUP OF KILNS AND COOLING ROOM. FIG. 93. GROUND FLOOR OF KILNS AND COOLING ROOM. KILNS FOR CURING HOPS. 177 than is possible by the artificial hot-air cure in Eng- land and America, and that this accounts in part for the peculiarities of Spalt hops that command such extraordinary prices. The dealers buy the hops loose from the grower, sack them, carefully assort the hops, putting all of one color and strength together before bleaching them with sulphur; single firms thus handle and bleach 20,000 bales or more. Spalt hops are never bleached. In England and America, curing is done in spe- cially constructed houses, in which temperature, mois- ture and sulphur fumes can be regulated to a nicety. The construction of these curing houses will be first described. ENGLISH OAST HOUSES are well and briefly described by Whitehead: "The kilns for drying hops are of simple construc- tion, being occasionally square, but more frequently round, chambers, from 16 to 20 feet in diameter, with stoves or fireplaces in them, and from 14 to 18 feet high; at this height a floor of narrow joists, or oast laths, an inch and a-half or so apart, is laid over the chamber. At this point the sharply sloping roof com- mences, being carried up to an apex with a circular aperture of from two to three feet, upon which a cowl is fixed. The roof is from 20 to 26 feet high. A sec- tion of a kiln is given in Fig. 92, B, in which the rela- tive height of the various parts is indicated. The kiln, or chamber, is in some cases merely a room with open iron stoves in it, as shown in the tw^o lower kilns of the ground plan D in Fig. 93 and in Fig. 92 B, having holes at intervals in the walls, just above the ground level to allow the admission of cold drafts to drive up the hot air through the hops above. Over the open stoves, iron plates are hung, five or six feet from the floor, to break 178 THE HOP. and distribute the volume of heat from the stoves. The cold air currents can be regulated by shutters over the draft holes. It is better that the stoves in the chambers should be set in brickwork, forming an inner circle (Fig. 92, A, and the two upper kilns in Fig. 93), so that the hot air is more concentrated, while the cold drafts do not mingle with it directly and diminish its heat. Upon the floor of joists or oast laths FIG. 94. ELEVATION OF THE COMMON HOP KILN. A, Stove room, with stone, brick or jtlasterpfl walls, but no floor; B, rtryinsr room; C, store room, wliich has a w iiulow in the end, not shown, with tight shutters; A\ ventilator; ^, i>latforni from wnich to )iass ui> the hajjs of jjieen hojis; G, door into dryintr looiii ; //, |)i|>e, or smoke stark from stove, which is to he taken down when not in nsc; y, air holes; /stairs lo i>latform. The usual dimen-ions are marke, 3x5 joist frainert into rafters of roof; c, post, 3x3, framod into cowl, and movalde nixm nn iron i)in at bottom, wliich rests on b. Tlie cowl shuts over the termination of the roof, and projects over it about two inches. the dry room. A hole (H) is left in the floor of the store room, in which a bottomless bag is fixed to con- duct the hops into the box in pressing. The stove room should be double-boarded out- side, and double-boarded or lathed and plastered inside, and supplied with convenient air holes at the bottom on all sides, which may be opened or be closed up at pleas- ure. The stove is made expressly for drying hops. The bottom is simply a grate, so that the draft is KILNS FOR CURING HOPS. 183 directly under the fire, and consequently greater. The pipe (p), which should be seven inches in diameter, rises from the stove to the height of five or six feet from the ground, then passes horizontally into a drum, 12 or 14 inches in diameter and three feet long, thence as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 107, ris- ing gradually, as seen in Fig. 108, until it reaches the chimney about four feet from the cloth. Such an ip 1 jj ■ D 1 ^ 1 D c FIG. 99. GROUND PLAN OF KILN. A, stove room; B, stove; C, C, draft holes; Z>, Z>, coal l.iiis; E, pr- ss room. cirrangement of pipe keeps all the heat where it is needed, and, of course, saves fuel. The press room should be at least seven feet from the floor to the beam in which the screws are set. The beam, ten by twelve inches, may also serve as a support for the floor of the store room. The bed-sill is of sim- ilar dimensions, and connected with the beam by two 184 THE HOP. half-inch iron rods, seen in Fig. io8. In Fig. 107, B, is seen the bottom plank of the box, which is seventeen and three-quarter inches wide and six feet long, and is pinned to the sills. The side planks (c, Fig. 108) are of the same length as the bottom, and two feet wide, grooved near the ends to receive the end pieces. The length of the box inside is five feet. The top plank ((/), one foot wide, is held in place by the ends of the FIG. lUO. PLAN O:^ DRYING FLOOR. tenons on the posts g. The cloth used for baling hops is about forty-four inches wide, and five yards is sufH- cient for a bale. The circular oast house is also employed, like the photograph (Fig. 123), and the floor plans in Fig. 99 and 100. A circular or square wall of brick, one foot thick, about 20 in diameter, is carried up to the height of 12 feet; then joists are placed in KILNS FOR CCJRII^G HOPS. 185 the wall at the height of ii feet, across which are placed strips two inches square, and nine inches apart. Over these is spread a strong cloth made of horse hair. Figure lOO shows a plan of the drying floor, capacity 35 to 50 bushels. The wall is carried about two feet higher, and plates are placed upon it, and terminated by a sharp wooden roof. At the top of the roof should be a hole about five feet in diameter, around which is placed a circular plate somewhat larger on the outside than the hole itself. Upon this plate is placed a cowl, to keep out the rain and let ofif the vapor. It turns with the wind. On the ground floor is the furnace. A door connects the kiln with the storage room below and the chambers above, for receiving, cooling and packing the hops. The furnace is built so that the heat rises from the center. A wall two feet high is raised, upon which is placed an iron grate, three feet wide and four feet long. The wall is carried a few bricks higher, solid, after which it is raised in open work two feet higher, the bricks lapping over each other about two inches. The two sides and back end being built, the top is covered by flat tile, supported by iron bars, laid across. A ground plan is given in Fig. 99. A double kiln of this nature is shown in Figs, no and in. HOP KILNS ON THE PACIFIC COAST Many of these have been built since 1890, and are designed to do their work with the utmost perfection and economy of capital, labor, fuel, and maintenance. These objects have been sought with special care by the Pleasanton Hop Company, wdiose buildings em- body many features suggested as desirable by science and practice in all parts of the hop-growing world. This model hop-curing establishment is described in detail in the sketches, plans and photographs. Figs. T15 to 122, inclusive. This establishment now 186 THE HOP. has 12 kilns, each 30x30 feet, all connected by over-head trestles with the six bins in each of the two large cooling rooms or warehouses. The cars in which the hops are carried from the kilns to the cooling bins are 30 feet long by 12 feet wide, big enough 525 El] > O to take an entire ''flooring" at once. The cars have movable sides and A -shaped bottoms, so that the hops can slide from car to floor in any direc- tion wanted without being rehandled, which also saves breaking. Indeed, handling is avoided through- KILN^S FOR CUEING HOPS. 18? out the whole process, so as to secure the whole- berried or beaky hops desired by brewers. The hops remain undisturbed in the cooling rooms until ready for baling, and require about a week to cool off. The large power press in each cooler is so constructed that trampling the hops is unnecessary. FIG. 102. DETAILS OF KILN CONSTRUCTION. The principles of construction outlined are also applied in Oregon, where kilns are usually 24x24 feet; also in Washington, where a few are 22x26 feet, rarely 30x30 feet, and a few old kilns are 16 feet square for 10 acres. The foundation sills (b, Fig. 102), of 6x6 inch stuff, rest on six by six pieces (c), two and one- half to three feet above a stout sill (d) on the ground, with the space below^ the sills open to give plenty of 188 THE HOP. draft to the building. The studding (a) is of two by six, sheathed outside with rustic boards, inside lathed and plastered to the eaves. The roof is a half-pitch hip-roof, the rafters ceiled up with matched boards to the ventilator, which should be five feet square on the inside, and 12 or 14 feet high, and boxed up to within three feet of the top, with swinging doors, to close at pleasure. The hop kiln floor is usually 16 feet above the earth, or four feet below the plates, as too large an air space above the hops tends to check the draft so necessary to carry off the moist vapor and steam. The floor joists are two by eight, resting upon a two by eight plate let into each stud one inch, and well spiked. Rough boards are nailed down and covered with one by four inch boards to make the floor. Hop-floor laths an inch thick and two inches wide, sized and with one edge rounded, are placed on the fioor about an inch apart (Fig. 102), upon which in due time the hop cloth or carpet is stretched. In the France kiln the cloth is stretched on wires, and is rolled ofi. by a shaft in the store room, so that all the hops are taken off in five minutes and the carpet put back ready for a new change without losing the heat or letting the lire go down. An improvement on this device is shown in Fig. loi. The hops are put on from a movable walk — a plank two and one-half feet above the carpet, sup- ported from the rafters by wire suspension rods — and when the hops are on, the plank is turned on edge. The iron drying stove (Fig. 104), big enough to take in four-foot wood, is set in brickwork, to prevent fire, the underside of the stove not lower than the sill. A 12-inch iron pipe runs up from the stove, break- ing into a T (a a <7, Fig. 104), the two arms gradually rising on supports (Fig. I03),but being kept about three feet from the walls, to avoid fire; when the pipes reach the other end of the room, they are joined by a T and KILNS FOR CURING HOPS. 189 carried into the chimney, built outside, which has a I2xi2-inch flue. A brick circle, i8 inches in diameter, is buiU in the wall, to admit pipes to chimney without heating wood. Various other methods of running the pipe are used. The bin or cooling room for a 1 6-foot kiln is about 16x20 feet. If adjoining, it is five feet lower than the kiln floor, with a doorway five by four feet, in halves, to put the hops through when FIG. 103, SUPPORT FOR HOT AIR PIPE. dried; in this case, allow one or two feet of cold air space between the walls. Many build the coolers at a distance, connecting by trestle work (Fig. 120), as at Pleasanton, to reduce fire risk and cheapen insurance. The bin should be partitioned off into several rooms, so that not over three or four days' drying need be crowded into one room, as by this means the press in the room below (Fig. 121) can be started sooner. The kiln floor is usually reached by a driving 190 THE HOP gangway for team and wagon, to a platform with a good shed over it, in which hops are deposited direct from the yard, until ready for loading the hop kiln. Wagons then pass down a gangway at the other end of the platform to the field level. Hence hop kilns are often built in a hollow to save as much hauling up a gangway as possible. A large elevator to carry the sacked hops from wagon to kiln floor is cheaper, and on some accounts better, where one has the power to run it. FIG. 104. STOVE FOR KILN, FRONT VIEW. CHAPTER XIII. CURING, COOLING AND BALING HOPS OR fuel, charcoal is used in Germany. Its fumes appear to have a beneficial effect on the hops, while its heat is intense, quick, and easily regulated. The German hop market will use no other fuel. In England, anthracite coal is employed, but coke is put on to keep the fires going, and some think it tends to impart the desired softness to hops. In America, dry wood is almost the only fuel in hop kilns. One wagon and team can keep a ten-acre yard supplied with boxes and remove the boxes of hops to the kiln platform. Two men are necessary, and these will assist the dryer to load the kiln when ready, as it requires three men to load. The dryer and a fireman are required to attend the stove and drying, working alternately in shifts of twelve hours, changing at noon and midnight, so that each may have sleep in the night. CURING THE HOPS Everything being in readiness, the hops are deliv- ered at the kiln loosely in large sacks, if picked in bas- kets, or in T20 bushel hop boxes. The floor cloth is carefully stretched — lo-j-ounce burlap or a strong duck is used for the carpet or kiln cloth ; eight-ounce cloth is too thick and causes too much of the lupulin to fall on the pipes. The men wear sewed 191 l:i".» THE ITOI\ FIG. 105. A HOP BALING KIESS. CURING, COOLINfi AS I) I'.WASd. VS. shoes, that no nails may tear the carpet. The sacks of hops are carried into the kiln and jjlaced on the floor near where they are to be emptied, without dra^^ing them across the carpet, and are emptied as lightly as possible, without shaking the floor, so as not to break the hops nor settle those already emjjtied. As fast as emptied, the hops should be loosened and leveled with a wooden barley fork. The floor can be laid to a depth of three to four feet, but at that de])th it will re- (juirc a long time to dry, and the bottom hops woukl be Flu. 106. ELEVATION OF HOP HOUSE, NEW YORK— See Page 181. scorched while the top ones would hardly be dried. It is best not to lay them deeper than can be dried and moved in twenty-four hours, and the picking should be stopped when enough have been secured for this purpose. Therefore, it is bad policy to have too many pickers, as they become dissatisfied if compelled to lay idle any portion of the day. Hops that have been heated in the sack while wait- ing to go on the kiln, will become smudged and discol- 13 194 THE HOP. ored, and it is absolutely impossible to make a choice hop out of them, as nothing can be done to bring them back to their original state after they have once become heated and spoiled. There is no reason why hops should heat in the sack if growers would observe a little diligence. The heating of hops in the sacks is caused by either packing them in too tightly or from permitting the pickers to sit on them as if the sacks were cushioned chairs. Also avoid allowing the sacks ti' :■ ■ H "''3 -,'^!'-""^J!'>!g O /ff i2 I/: '6f, stove; P. pipe; //, trap door in room abovt' to let down hops to | less; B, B, ))ottoni of press; b, i, keys to hold the sidtposts of press; o, «, railway lor moving press under the hole //. In this fiynre the positions of the joists y,;, and slats s, s, of the floor above are also shown. to remain on the platform too long, and when there see that the sacks are not piled on top of one another. Do not pack too many hops in a sack. On a deep "floor" the hops may have to be turned, or they may be scorched or imperfectly dried. Many careful hop men oppose deep floors and turning of hops, though practiced everywhere. The deep floor also requires excessiv^e heat. If the hops get "packed" they cuRiKG, cooli:n^g and baling. 195 must be stirred, using a long-pronged fork, with ends of tines turned up to avoid pricking the cloth. In New York, the floor is usually 12 to 18 irTches deep, deep- ening as the harvest proceeds and the hops get dryer. A fan blast is often used to force a current of heated air through deep hops, and this may prevent the need FIG. 108. SECTION OF HOP HOUSE SHOWN IN FIG. 106 Showins: stove, dry, store and press rooms. S, Stove; P, pipe: C, movable sides of press; (/, upper plank of press; (/, f/, posts to support sides of press; b, bt irou rods, wliich connect tlie bed-sill with the strong beam above. of turning. On the Pacific coast, hops are seldom laid over 24 inches deep, and 20 inches are ample. The object in curing hops is to evaporate their excess of water without loss of other qualities, and in the least possible time. Green hops contain from 70 to 75 per cent, of water; cured hops from 7 to 10 per cent. This change is usually effected in 12 hours, the morning pick going in at noon and the afternoon 190 TH^ HOP. harvest at midniglit. As a floor four feet deep and 1 6 feet square will contain about 45 boxes, or 900 bushels, the green weight of 4,500 pounds shrinks to some 1,100 pounds. Thus, the 3,400 pounds of water in the hops has to be evaporated and carried off during the 12 hours. Hot air to evaporate the water, and a strong current to carry the vapor off are essential. Hence, the need of an abundant inlet of cool air into the stove or heating pipes, and of ample ventilation to draw off the hot vapor in such a way as to create a strong draft or current of heated air through the light and fluffy mass of hops. After the floor is laid, the fire should be started and the heat raised to the desired point in two to four hours. If the heat is rushed up quickly, it will cause the hops to pack, whereas they should be kept so light that the heated air will freely circulate about every hop. At the start, open wide the ventilators in the cowl, to let the steam off freely, and as long as steam is emitted, see that the sulphurous acid fumes permeate the air. When the steam is gone, or nearly so, stop the sulphur and close the ventilators halfway. This is in about 10 hours, generally, on a 12-hour cure, depending on the condition of the hops. Finally, close the ventila- tors tight, to allow the top layers to be dried off. It is not possible to describe in words the con- dition hops are in when the cure is done and the floor ready to renew. It must be learned by actual experi- ence, just as the qualities and curing of cigar leaf tobacco can be judged only by experts. Meeker attempted to do this in his book, from which we quote: "An ideally cvired hop would show only a wilted stem, or core, of a purplish-green cast, being soft to the touch and flexible; the globules of lupulin, standing out prominently, bright and unchanged from that of an uncured hop. In prac- tice, however, most of the stems are not only wilted, but are dried so as to be brittle and harsh to the touch, and show the sharp corners, which will be readily understood by any- one taking a specimen between the thumb and finger and CURING, COOLIKG AND BALING. 197 rubbing the hop to pieces. Because of the presence of these over-dried hops, we are able to turn off the flooring with a small percentage of fat hops, being those whose stems are not wilted, but show as green as when placed in the kiln. Floorings, with 10 per cent, of such stems, may be turned off, and yet keep, if otherwise well and evenly cured and properly handled afterward, though I should by no means advise leaving so large a percentage; probably not five per cent, of such stems are left in ordinary practice. Whatever there may be will have disappeared in a couple of days, and such stems as were green will be wilted and the moisture absorbed by the balance of the hops. The after-handling consists in forking the hops over after they have lain a few days and have begun to warm up, as hops in bulk will do where not dried thoroughly. A better plan is to cure at a lower temperature, which will insure a larger percentage of wilted stems, and less of those with sharp corners, as likewise of the green stems and a more even color." If hops are slack-dried, they will "give" when cooled off. If over-dried, they will fall to pieces or shell badly, feel harsh and the stems will be brittle. FIG. 109. SHOVEL AND BRUSH FOR USE IN KILN. This last state can be helped by putting a quart of salt in a pan on the stove and shutting the ventila- tors for a short time — a little trick that wdll soften and toughen the otherwise brittle hops. Even on brittle hops, salt must be tised with care, and never on hops that are all right. It causes hops to absorb moisture, especially in Oregon and Washington. A hop that absorbs moisture before being baled is liable to be clammy and boardy. When the hops are done, draw fire at once, and open ventilators, and allow the heat to go off; then 198 THE HOP. carefully remove the floor into the cooling room. This is done with a rake or box shovel (Fig. 109). COOLING AXD BALING Before removing to the cooling bin, the floor of hops is allowed to cool off for an hour. Where the box shovels (Fig. 109) are not used, hops are taken from the floor in wheel scoops, operated by one or two men, or pushed by rakes into cars (Fig. 112). The floor- FIG. 110. ELEVATION OF DOUBLE KILN, NEW YORK. cloth is carefully swept with a peculiar broom (Fig. 109), to save all the lupulin and dust, and as a guard against danger of fire. If a floor comes off red, discol- ored, or with traces of mold, keep such hops separate; don't mix, or you will reduce the price of all the hops. Strive by all means to keep qualities separate, if more than one, so that the buyer gets his goods as he bought them, and thus insure a reputation for yourself. CURII^G, COOLING AND BALING. 199 English and German practice is to pack the hops, while still warm, into sacks about six by three feet, con- taining about 125 pounds and called "pockets." These bales are usually sent to market at once, and if not promptly sold to the brew^er (who puts them into cold storage) are stored in large, cool, airy warehouses, so stocked as to permit a free circulation of air about each bale; otherwise, the hops may become crusted and damp. Prompt packing while w^arm prevents the escape of the volatile sulphurous acid gas, the reten- tion of which in the bales adds to, or rather preserves, the brewing qualities. This gas is exceedingly vola- tile, and the more it escapes before hops are packed. H n FIG. 111. GROUND PLAN OF DOUBLE KILN SHOWN IN FIG. 110. the less will be its beneficial efifect. Kammerer showed in his tests at Nuremberg that sulphured hops left open and unbaled for four weeks, steadily lost their binoxide of sulphur, until after four weeks they contained only 25 per cent, as much as when first ofY the cloth. Another argument for packing while still hot, is that the hops contain less water than in any other period, and if allowed to cool, will rapidly absorb water, thus partly counteracting the object of the cure. Scientific experiments on all these points would be highly interesting. In America, however, thorough cooling is the rule, partly because when baled cold the hops are 200 THE HOP. alleged to keep much better during the often long interim before they reach market. In some cases, they He in the bin twenty-four hours, and are then put into another store room for ten days to sweat. The dried hops remain in the bin until they commence to toughen or ''come in case," which takes from three to FIG. 112. CAR AT KILN TO RECEIVE HOPS (Pleasanton). A, Upwarrt slidins: doors of kilns, through which hoi)S are pushed fr< m floor; i}, wooden apron down wliich hops slide (to juevent their breaking), with the car, t^ ready to receive the dried hops to be carried to the coolers. seven days, depending upon the temperature and den- sity of the atmosphere. But if allowed to lie too long, they again become very brittle and break badly in pressing; if left until they again show moisture, they pack in the press hard and vSiolid, and samples taken CURING, COOLING AND BALING. •>wl from them arc what dealers call boardy and which they claim are slack-dried. If hops are to be held by the grower for some months, there is considerable testi- mony to show that they can be kept with less injury in bulk than in bales. Meeker inquired particularly into this point, and still believes it is fully demonstrated. Of course the warehouse must be kept cool and very dry, so the hops in bulk will neither heat nor absorb moisture. Meeker covers another important point as follows: "One objection to the practice of b^Hng immediately FIG. 113. THE HARRIS HOP PRESS. after curing is that the grower's crop will not run as even in quality as if carefully stored, in order that they may mix the whole thoroughly. The earlier pick- ing wnll be lighter; that is, not so rich as the later, be- sides no field qf hops will be of exactly the same quality and color, even if picked on the same day. To most effectually mix, so as to have the whole crop uniform, the warehouse should be filled in layers, first covering 202 THE HOP. the whole floor about two feet deep, and gradually fill by adding successive layers; then when baling, by tak- ing the whole depth of the pile there will be no appre- ciable difference in color or value. This plan gives uniform samples from every bale, a point highly desired by the buyer." Great care should be exercised, so as not to break the hops during the process of baling. Many growers tramp the hops with their feet without using any board to rest on the hops. In fact, we know cases where FIG. 114. THE PRESS WITH FRONT REMOVED. growers actually stamp the hops in the presses with their feet. A horse^power press that does not require any tramping is, of course, preferable, but these presses are expensive and not all growers can afford them. A hand-power press that requires the follower to be run down more than once, can be made to bale hops in per- fect shape by using the board mentioned above, and a springy motion of the knees, while standing in the CURIN^G COOLING AND BALING. 203 press, instead of tramping them, will prevent the hops from breaking. A hop that is broken from any cause, whether from baling or otherwise, is far from a "choice" hop. It may be all right in other respects, but the mere fact that it is broken will detract from its selling, as well as its brewing, qualities, and, in addi- FIG. 115. PLEASANTON HOP KILN. FRONT ELEVATION. INTERIOR VIEW GIVEN OF KILN AT THE LEFT. a, Ventilation resnlator (opens and closes by pulley ropes extendinsr to kiln floor); ft, kiln floor aox30. built of l>;;xl inch slats set on edtfe. with 1>^ Inch space between each slat to allow heat from furnace and pipes to pass through hops. Over the slats is laid a carpet of 10-ounce burlap to prevent hops from falling through. On this floor the green hops are spread for drying process; r, seciion of heating pipes detailed in Fig. 118; < = t! 2r 2 w S §2i55a, ,t^ CS O o 03 ..2 ?.*- ?« o) 4jC-i 3 a ii-i vJ "1^ r- tT O " J! O oj o « ^ a oi p ^3 c« ^ 05 ;s,e3 ^ V r- ;h -i-> >. 5 "S t* o !-< =« 1^ u _ - i; = s > &j ro z; "^ ^ *-^ ji; ^iz >• o t> Oh ''■^ ""^ '' H CURING, COOLING AND BALING. 213 Meeker pointed out that there is also a greater loss in the non-keeping quaHties of high-dried hops than those cured at a low temperature. It would be interesting to go into more details on this important subject of the proper temperature, and to discuss its scientific aspects, but the facts are as stated, and this is sufficient for all practical purposes. THE SULPHURING OF HOPS This is done in several ways. In German curing kilns, also in English oast houses, the sulphur is thrown FIG. 122. COOLER — END ELEVATION. See Hg. 121 for explanations. directly upon the fire, usually after the hops have be- gun to steam, another dose of sulphur being put on the fire when the hops are turned. From lo to 20 pounds of brimstone are burned for each floor on a 20-foot square or i6-ft circular. In New York, the hop stoves have a flange on which to burn the sulphur, but as it burns too rapidly, the custom there (and also on the coast) is to put the sulphur in a pan on the 214 THE HOP. ground, near the stove, and set fire to it with a few hot coals or with a red-hot iron. If the hops are nice and free from rust, one pound of sulphur is used for a floor in a 24-foot kiln, but when very rusty, from two to five pounds are used; others use only two to three ounces at a time, and burn it three times, first when the hops are warmed one-third the way through, and last when the heat has reached the surface. On the coast, from one to four pounds of sulphur per 100 pounds of dried hops is the range. Usually a little sulphur is burned, with ventilators partly closed, just before the hops are done, to finish ofif the drying. The bleaching effect is not as much at this time as when the hops are more moist. Some Oregon growers find that "the best way to burn sulphur is in iron kettles, hung by a hook on wires stretched across each corner of the kiln, and high enough to be above the heads of anyone passing under- neath. These kettles can be lifted off with a forked stick and set on the stove to get hot when the fire is started, and again hung on the wire as soon as the sul- phur is burning well. The kettles can be replenished by dropping sticks of sulphur in them while burning. They should be kept burning until the hops are dry enough to rattle on top. The amount thus used will be found to be about one pound to each 20 pounds or 25 pounds of dried hops." Meeker burns the sul- phur outdoors, but close to the fan, by which the fumes are sucked up with the air and forced in a powerful cur- rent through the hops after the air is heated. No other chemicals should be used, as they de- stroy the vitality of the dried hops and cause them to fall to pieces and look and feel husky, like chaff. There are four reasons for using sulphur: t. The fumes de- crease the hygroscopic power of hops: that is, render them less able to retain the moisture that is both within and without them, and thus the fumes help to carry off CURING, COOLING AND BALING. 215 the water in the hops. This is a vital point in favor of sulphuring. 2. The fumes bleach the hops, dispelling spots, dark colors, etc., and making the hops brilliant, glistening and attractive it^ appearance and feeling. 3. The preserving effect of the fumes prevents deleterious transformation of the albuminous and other principles in hops, the proper preservation of which is so essen- t.1 i,jj-tti ^| Mq i' t^*Mu^if^^^?^£^. GRADING AXD MARKETING HOPS. 239 T2.3 per cent, of hard resins and 29 per cent, of soft, but after having been stored a year in a brewery under ordinary conditions, the soft resins had fallen to 8.3 per cent, and the hard rose to 7.3 per cent. The chem- ist's theory that the brewing value of hops is gauged only by the soft resins, which is apparently borne out by practical experience in brewing, indicates a loss of one- third in the actual brewing strength of these hops dur- ing the year. If as new hops they were worth 24 cents per pound, then, as old hops, 16 cents would be a full price for them. This depreciation explains the im- portance of proper care of old hops. Hermetically sealed up in galvanized iron cases, hops have been kept for two years or more without appreciable loss in brewing power. EXTRACTING THE LUPULIX And bottling it has long been successfully practiced. One concern in central New York has made the fifth addition to its hop extract works, and has worked up more than 15,000,000 pounds of hops since its incep- tion 25 years ago. The process of preserving consists simply in re- moving the sacking from the bales, breaking the hops apart, putting them into large tanks, closing up the tanks, pumping in an easily evaporated solvent, which makes a solution of the lupulin, drawing ofif this solu- tion into evaporators, where the solvent is evaporated and the pure extract of the hops left behind in the evaporator, whence it is drawn off and soldered up in cans, thus made air-tight, so that the extract will keep fresh for a good many years. This operation, waste, car freight, etc., cost five cents per pound of hops han- dled: T2 pounds of good hops yield one pound of ex- tract, which is equal in the brewery to 12 pounds of ^hops. Brewers patronize this factory quite largely, especially when hops are dear. 240 THE HOP. A dilferent method for accomplishing a similar purpose has been perfected at the municipal brewing school in Ghent, Belgium, and is now being used by a syndicate of Belgian brewers. They establish works near the plantations, for convenience of delivery, and buy hops only after analysis, paying according to the amount of lupulin they contain, quite regardless of color or odor. The hops are further dried at 95 degrees F. The dried cones are then operated upon by a machine, which, by the action of brushes, sieves and fans, breaks them up into their separate petals, and mechanically separates from them the lupulinic powder. The golden flour is collected and put aside. The leaves are then passed through a series of several washing cylinders, being treated therein with water at a specified heat, until they are completely macerated, and the tannic acid and other soluble matters contained in them are entirely removed. The undissolved pro- portion remaining after this process is very small; therefore the waste is reduced to a minimum. The fluid passing from the cylinders is then evaporated in vacuo at the temperature of about 95 degrees F., until it attains the consistency of syrup. To this are then added the grains of lupulin, forming together a kind of greasy, brown paste, which is packed in hermetic- ally sealed tin boxes, from which the natural air is afterwards expelled, and replaced by carbolic gas. In this manner it is claimed that all the useful pre- servative quality, as well as the flavor originally pos- sessed by the hops is preserved without any deterio- ration, and that it can be sold to the brewer for his storage for an indefinite period. Other advantages shown to brewers are: — Reduction in space required for storage, as the bulk of the hops is reduced by two-thirds, 100 pounds of natural hops producing 30 pounds of extract; uni- formity of quality, whereby beer can always be pro- GRADrnG AND MARKETING HOPS. 241 diiced with the same flavor, and containing the same preservative elements under any varying condition of climate; economy in using extract in comparison with natural hops. It is stated that the extract is completely soluble in cold as well as hot water, and that there is, therefore, nothing in it to affect the color or the clear- ness of the beer. FIG. i;J3. SCENE IN AN ENGLISH OAST HOUSE. IG 342 THE HOP. CO CO CHAPTER XV CONCENTRATION IN HOP GROWING In some respects the growing of hops on the Pa- cific coast is undergoing the same evolution that is witnessed in other industries. For lack of capital, low prices for the product, inexperience or lack of proper attention to the crop, many growers have been forced out of the industry, and in not a few cases have been obliged to sacrifice their plantations. Their farms thus become consolidated into large holdings owned and operated by m?n of ample means and knowledge, who conduct hop growing and marketing on a large scale, by scientific methods and on strictly business principles. One of the most prominent instances of this ten- dency is afforded by the Horst Brothers. They have under cultivation a tract of 700 acres (see Fig. 6, Page 24) on their home ranch at Horstville, on the Bear river, Yuba county, Cal., and this one tract produces annually over 5000 bales, equal to a million pounds, of hops per year. They also own and operate other large tracts in hops on the Russian river in California, on the Willamette river in Oregon, and on the Fraser river in British Columbia. The Messrs. Horst grow their hops against con- tracts that they have with brewers throughout the world, and that are made for a long term of years in advance, thus relieving themselves of the industry's speculative features and giving them control of a good share of the hop business. This plan has advantages for the breweries as well, as they are assured of a sup- ply of hops of satisfactory quality at a fair margin over 243 244 THE HOP. CONCENTRATION IN HOP GROWING. 245 the cost of production, which is usually below what they would otherwise have to pay. The ranch at Horstville is the basis for their ex- tensive operations. The entire 700 acres devoted thereon to hops are set in the improved wire trellis on 20-foot poles that are set two feet in the ground, thus leaving the horizontal trellis wires 18 feet overhead, from which tw^o strings run down to each hill. A yard is devoted to experimental purposes, where the dif- ferent varieties from all parts of the world are tested and seedlings are originated, some of which bid fair to combine all the qualities most desired. The illustra- tions in connection with this chapter show a number of varieties most popular with brewers that are grown on a large scale on this ranch. One remarkable feature about this establishment at Horstville is that lice and mold have never been known since hop culture was inaugurated there, forty years ago, and this fact, combined w'ith a soil and climate peculiarly adapted to hop culture, makes this locality one of the most certain and most prolific sections for hops in the world. The ranch is on the banks of the Bear river, and in a dry season the river can be used for irrigating, thus making the crop certain regardless of rain. In the year 1898, when California sufifered from such a drouth as had never been knowm, this hop ranch produced the same quality and quantity per acre as usual. By thus concentrating, under one management, many plantations, the entire culture, harvest, curing and sale of the crop is in the hands of experts. Noth- ing is left to guesswork; slipshod methods are not tolerated. Every detail is conducted on businesslike and scientific principles and receives the benefit of the wide experience acquired by the owners of this ranch, not only in growing hops, but in disposing of them. The latest improvement devised by Horst Brothers 2M] THE HOP. FIG. 135. EAST KENT GOLDINGS. CON"CENTRATION IJf HOP GEOWING. 247 is their new kilns. These dry and cure the hops at the lowest possible temperature and are now being further improved with a system by means of which the hops are dried by currents of air driven through them by fan blowers. This air is not heated at all, and no artificial heat of any kind will be used to effect the drying or curing, thereby completely preserving the aroma, tex- ture and lupulin, — qualities which are otherwise likely to be sacrificed, to a more or less extent, during the cure. These kilns and storage houses are built entirely of iron, bridge construction for the frame, corrugated iron for sides and roof, and the hop kiln floors are No. 4 steel wires, one and one-half inches apart, with No. (O crosswires about six inches apart, thus giving prac- tically all the surface to curing the hops, instead of only one-half, as by the ordinary wooden floor process. These iron kilns are considered so absolutely fireproof that no insurance is carried, and this style of construc- tion is evidently to come into general use. All the other hop kilns on this ranch are now being remodeled to conform to the arrangement of the battery of six kilns above described, which are shown in the illus- tration on Page 216. Another notable improvement used by Horst Brothers is a hydraulic compress for recompressing the ordinary 200-pound bale of hops into a package of one-half the usual size. This saves space in storage and in transportation, and brewers speak highly of the better keeping qualities of the hops thus compressed. The crop is here grown on such a large scale that it is shipped from the ranch by whole train-loads, to be dis- tributed throuerhout the world. 248 THE HOP. ti 3 CHAPTER XVI EXPENSES AND PROFITS OF HOP CULTURE HE cost of growing hops va- ries widely, even between neighboring plantations, by reason of difTferences of methods and yields, and still more widely between differ- ent countries. Profits fluc- tuate even more seriously, depending upon both yield and prices. The yield of cured hops per acre ordi- narily varies within the following limits as a fair aver- age for all growers, but in extraordinary seasons may exceed them either way, while the best growers will often exceed the highest figure quoted: YIELD OF CURED HOPS PER ACRE AND COST. Pounds per acre. Higliest. 800 1,000 1,500 2,000 Lowest. 400 500 400 600 Average. 500 900 800 1,200 Cost per 11). Germany England New York 20 to 30c 12 to 20c 8 to 20c Pacific coast 6 to Ific Germany — Owing to the peculiar methods in Germany, previously noted, it is quite useless to attempt any statement of receipts and expenses of the peasant hop grower. For E^GLA^D, however, Whitehead, in 1893, revised all previous estimates, and Mr. E. H. Elvy, editor of the Kentish Ohscrvrr, the leading hop journal in England, has carefully corrected the returns up to 1899 for this work, as follows: The land on which hops are grown in Kent is worth about $200 an acre, and interest is reckoned at 5 per cent. To start a new plantation will cost from $100 to $125 per acre, including preparation of the soil, fertilizing, sets and planting, cultivating, rent, taxes, etc. Plants cost $1 to $2.50 2-iO 250 THE HOP. per 100, usually $1.25. Poles or trellis cost $50 to $100 per acre. Thus the cost to get ready a new hop yard in England will vary from $150 to $275 per acre. The kiln for 20 acres costs about $2500, or, say, $100 an acre. After this invest- ment, the following table affords a fair range of the yearly expense over a large part of the English acreage, being larger or smaller according to circumstances. ENGLAND— AVERAGE YEARLY EXPENSE PER ACRE OF HOPS.* Manure Digging Dressing or cutting Foling, tying, training, lewing Cultivating and lioeing Stacking, stripping, cleaning up yards . .. Annual renewal of poles or trellis Picking, curing, packing, sampling, etc.. Rent, taxes, repairs, interest, etc Sulphuring to prevent mildew Spraying against lice, etc Total Lbs. per acre under favorable conditions Cost per pound, say Hieliest Lowest. Average $40.00 $20.00 $30.00 6.00 3.00 4.50 2.00 1.00 1.50 11.00 7.00 9.50 16.00 10.00 12.50 4.00 2.50 3.00 10.00 7.00 8.50 50.00 30.00 42.50 32.00 25.00 27.50 5.00 2.00 3.50 12.00 7.50 9.00 $188.00 $115.00 $152.00 1,000 700 900 19c 17c 16c *The £ sterling is figured at at two cents. >, the shilling at 25 cents, the penny Thus we get an annual charge per acre of $188 as one extreme, down to $115 as the lowest, or an average of $152 for yards kept up in good condition; against about $112 estimated by Marshall just a century earlier, about $120 by Mainwaring's figures in 1855, and Worcester planters' esti- mate in 1890 of $145 to $170 per acre for a good crop. A— Annual cost per acre of hop culture in an East Kent yard, three pole system and simplest methods still largely followed. Stripping vines and stacking poles $ 1.25 Annual renewal of poles 25.00 Stable manure, also carting and spreading it ; 15.00 Digging $5, cutting $1.25, poling $3, tying $3 12.25 Digging about hills $1.25, shimming and liarrowing $5 6.25 Picking $25, digging $10, pockets $6.25 41.25 Kent, rales, tithes $20, sundries $6.25 26.25 Total cost for average yield of 7 cwt. per acre $127.25 Average cost of hops per pound 16c B— Annual cost per acre of hop cultTire in Mr. J. D. Maxted's yard, East Kent, on the Butcher wire trellis and highest culture by meth- ods employed by the most enterprising planters in England. Manures— 12 loads of dung $15, 10 cwt. of artificial fertilizer $10, 5 c-wt. gypsum $1.43 $26.43 Team labor— Carting out dung $4, plowing $2, twice 3-horse shimming $3, thrice 2-horse ditto $2.62, twice 1-horse liarrow 50c. cartage on fertilizer 28c 12.30 Manual labor— Spreading dung 37c, digging slips three times $7.50, cutting $1.25, stringing $2.50, catting off old vines $1, training $7.50, repairs to wire work and lews $1.50, digging round 50c 22.52 EXPENSES AKD PROFITS. 261 Sundries— Three c\iltivatings $11.38, tliree siilphurings $2.16, string for trellis $8.22, new poles and wii'e $2.40, new imple- ments and repairs to old ones $3.60. blacksmith's bill $1.68, rent and rates $14.58, proportion of supervision $4.86, hire of oast $2.40 51.28 Total up to harvest time (about 6% cts per lb.) $112.53 Harvesting and marketing costs 30s per cwt., or within a frac- tion of 6I2C per lb, including picking and curing and getting to marivet (coal, brimstone, pockets, binmen, tallymen, cart- age to oasis and station, freight, insurance, commission and sampling), a total of 106.72 Aggregate cost of a yield of 15 cwt, per acre (or 1,680 lbs. at an average cost of a trifle over 13 cents per lb.) $219.25 COST OF HOPS IN NEW YORK STATE, U. S. A. Net Profits of $150 Per Acre — The late William Brooks of Cooperstown, New York, furnished a remarkable statement to the 2V>/r England ^Icmestead ia 1885, in which he placed the cost of production at 10c per lb. He always gave his yard the best possible care and sold his hops at the market price when baled. He bought his farm of 100 acres in 1863 for $3000. It had five acres in hops, to which he added two more acres in 1866. From these seven acres, he received $38,180 for the 21 hop crops, 1863-'84, or an aver- age of $2367 per year, equal to $339 per acre per year. But this was during a period when hops averaged higher than of late years. But the fact that the crop yielded an average of 1300 lbs. per acre all these years, or nearly double the product on neighboring yards, where cost per pound was as much or more, shows what can be done. His net profits must have averaged for the 21 years over $150 per acre. Mr. Brooks furnished details of his last 10 crops as follows: Bales Pounds. Price per pound. Tot'l rec'ts. 1875 4» 9,910 13c $1,288 1876 43 8,869 34c 3,113 1877 62 12,006 lie 1,309 1878 46 8,693 14e 1,141 1879 49 8,531 30-35C 3,512 1880 43 8,221 16c 1,315 1881 52 9,663 25c 2.417 1882 36 6,402 70e 4,481 1883 54 9.6.36 31c 2.876 1884 53 486 9,590 91.521 24-25C 2,223 Total, av 25.8c $23,675 Av. per year, 7 a cres 9,1.52 25.8c 2,367 Av. per year, pe r acre 1.307 25.8e 339 NEW YORK STATE— COST OF GROWING HOPS Otsego CorivTY. N. Y. — W. H. G.'s 10-acre hop field cost $75 an acre, hills 8x8 ft, or 675 per acre; cedar poles at 12c, delivered, cost $810 for the yard. The kiln and store- room is 50x24, and cost, including furnace, press, and other fxtures, $1600. The sacks for green hops, boxes for picking, etc., cost $40. The cultivators, hillers. grub hooks, bars for pole-setting, etc., cost $50. The pickers boarded themselves and at 40c per box were paid $206 for the 515 boxes; five box- tenders at $1 each for 15 days, $75; expense of collecting and 252 THE HOP. carrying pickers, $15; man at kiln 15 nights, at $1.25 per night, $18.75; use of kiln-cloth $3 (it cost $45 for 900 lbs. at 5c), a total of $317.75, or 3.9c per lb. of cured hops. Insur- ance was $3500 on hop house for 30 days at 40c per $100, mak- ing $14, and $2000 for balance of year at $12. Work is charged for at its local market value. Total cost a trifle over 12c per lb., and i s he sold for 13c, he made a slight profit over and above fair return for his labor and capital. The operating expenses were 8.5c per lb. sold, fixed rharges 3.7c, or a total cost of 12.2c per lb. of hops. If $30 worth of the $88 spent for fertilizers is allowerl to be -i the soil for the next crop, the net operating expense of this 1897 crop was $663,25, or $66.35 per acre. Adding depreciation and taxes, $259, the total cost of production is $922 for the ten acres, or, say, $92 per acre. Deduct this total cost from the receipts for the crop, and the balance of $126 represents the net re- turns on the $750 invested in the land, or 17 per cent. Or, if we figure the investment at $3250 (including land, $750, poles $810, building $1600, tools $90), the difference of $395 between operating expenses ($663) and receipts ($1058) represents the net earnings on the investment, and shows a net income on such investment of nearly 13 per cent. In the table the items are arranged in the order that the work was done. Setting poles .-it 20c per 100 Grnbbiiifj; by hand Two-liorse eullivjitor, once both ways Tyinii "P slioots, four wonien at 75c "per day Twine and labor ])uttinjj on Tying, trininiing, 'training (women) Cnltivating again, both ways Fertilizing (tonr tons hardwood aslies at ^12, one ton bone meal .f 40) Handling, mixing and applying fertilizers about hills Twine, and putting on Hilling, shov^el-plow one way and hoeing. Last two cultivatings (lightly), tying up broken vines, eie '. Harvesting and curing (details above) Krimstone $3, fuel .$8, insurance $26 Baling at 20c per bale Staclcing poles, covering hills for winter Delivering crop at station Operaiing expenses for crop Fixed charges (interest on Land at 6 per cent., .'i!42; depreciation of poles at 10 per cent., $81 ; de- preciation on kilns, tools, boxes, etc., .f 169; taxes, $9) Total cost of croi^ 8140 lbs. hops sold and netted Net balance Ten acres $13.50 25.00 12.00 9.00 40.00 ;}0.00 10.00 88.00 7.00 40.00 20.00 15.00 317.75 37.00 9.00 15.00 5.00 $693.25 301.00 $994.25 1,058.20 $53.95 One acre. $1.35 2.50 1.20 90 4.00 3.00 1.00 8.80 .70 4.00 2.00 1.50 31.77 3.70 .90 1.50 .50 $69.32 30.10 $99.42 105.82 $5.40 Madison County, N. Y.— L. W. Griswold gives his estimate of cost of raising one acre of hops in the table be- low. Dividing the total cost by 1000 lbs., which is certainly EXPENSES AND PROFITS. 253 a large average yield per acre, it gives the cost of the first crop as a little over 25c per lb., exclusive of the cost of build- ing kiln and storehouse. Deducting the price of poles, roots and tools, preparation and planting of yard, and adding $5 for the breakage of poles and wear of tools, we find the cost for the following year to be $76.85, or a trifle over 7i/^c per lb. When, however, we add $500 for building a kiln and store- house, to the other expenses, and depreciation, interest, etc., on same the actual cost is far above 7i/^c. Prepai'inp: ground for planting , ^3.00 Sets tor planting 750 liills 7.50 1,500 liop poles, 10c encli 150.00 Tools, including two hop boxes 12.00 Setting poles, '20e per 100 3.00 Grubbing, one day's work 2.00 Plowing and cultivating twice each O.OO Hoeing twice, t wo days' work 4.00 Tying three times 3.00 Picking 77 boxes, 30c per box 23.10 Boarding and lodging pickers 12.00 Drying ho]>s 5.00 Baling 10 l)ales, 50 yds. sacking and lahor 7.50 Interest on land, valtied at $150 per acre 7.50 Insurance $2, taxes 75c, fertilizers $6 8.75 Total cost S!254.35 Another Otsego Statement (by James Ferris) — The largest grower in the county failed, though his hops sold at an average of 20c; another whose real estate was free of mortgage in 1893 failed in '97. Hemlock poles 18 to 25 ft. long cost lli/^c, delivered ready for setting, 851 per acre, one to each hill 7x7 ft., or $97.86; with proper care, they last 15 years, annual loss, $6.52. interest at 6 per cent., $5.87, total yearly cost of poles $12.39. It is easy to determine cost of setting a yard and first year's cultivation. Potatoes or corn, potatoes preferably, are planted with hops the first year, occupying three-quarters of the ground. As 120 bu. of pota- toes to an acre is an average crop, the hops would displace just 30 bu. of potatoes per acre, which, at an average price of 40c per bu., would have been worth $12. But the seed for hops usually costs more, and they receive better care than potatoes. Such additional cost is about $2 per acre. The average period which a hop yard will last and be produc- tively profitable is about six years. So that the average cost of planting yards to displace those running out would be $2.33 per acre per annum on all hop land harvested. During depressed times, only one shovelful of barnyard manure is placed in each hill in the autumn, but when prices are good, more is used — about eight two-horse loads are used per acre, worth $8, and it costs $2 to apply. When pickers are plenty, they can usually be hired to pick and board them- selves for 40c per box at present (1898), but in this locality not half enough pickers can be hired to pick and board themselves, The grower is obliged to board them, and go 254 THE HOP. some distance after them, making the average cost of pick- ing about 45c per box, and as hops usually cure about 15 lbs. to the box, this would make the cost of picking 3c per lb. Drying can be hired done at %c, the grower finding brimstone and fuel, and this is as cheap as he can do it him- self if due allowance is made for capital, depreciation and insurance of kiln. My figures make the crop of 700 lbs. per acre (which is about the average) cost 13i4c per lb., as follows: Hop poles $12.39, renewing roots $2.33 1S!14.72 Mamire, and its application I'tOO Cleaving up in fall, stacking poles, etc -50 Setting poles $1.50, grubbing $1 2.50 Plowing four furrows per row each way from liill 2.50 Cultivating twice in row botli ways 1.00 Tying twice $2, twine $4, putting on $1 7.00 Training and hoeing 4.00 Winding on twine, lyinc: with ladder 2.00 Plowing 1o hill $2.50, hilling $1.50, cultivating $1 5.00 Picking 3c i>er lb. cured hops, box tending and yard bosslc, cn>--- tom drving %c, brimstone, fuel, balii.g, marketing i/^c, to- tal per '700 lbs 2G.75 Baling cloth $1.40, insuring crop 42c 1.82 Rent of land at least 3.00 Total for 700 lbs. hops, one acre $82.79 St. LAwr.F.NCE County, N. Y. (S. Hemingway) — Small items might be added to make the total below an even $110 per acre, or 20c per lb. for 500 lbs. per acre, about lie for 1000 lbs., or (allowing for heavier manuring and in- creased cost of harvesting and curing) about 7c per 2000 lbs. per acre. The kiln, 20x30 ft, cost about $300, on which inter- est, $18, depreciation, $20. and insurance, $10, cost $48 per year, one-fifth of which is charged against one acre. I use two poles to each of 680 hills per acre, or 1360 poles per acre, costing $68, and allow 10 per cent, for depreciation. One-fourth day uncovering hills 35c, two davs setting poles $2.50, one day plowing $2.00 .' $4.85 One day hoeing $1.25, one day tying $1.25, one day trimming $1.25 3.75 680 lbs. fertilizer 10. to Three days' plowing, 2d, 3d and 4th times 6 00 Three days' hoeing $3.75, two days resetting poles $2.50 n.25 One-half day's attention weekly for 16 weeks 10.00 Picking 1,000 lbs. at 3c 30.00 Two nights' drying at $2 4.00 One-half day's baling, two men 2.50 Two days' stacking poles $2.50, one day's cutting and burning vines $1.25, one day's covering hills $1.25 5.00 Total operating expenses $82.75 Fixed charges : Interest at 6 per cent.on land worth .$50 an acre $3, depreciation on poles $10.88, use of kiln $9.60 23.48 Aggregate expenses per acre $106.23 FROM NORTHERN OHIO Statement of Banner and Hatch of Richland County, Ohio. The plant — buildings, tools, boxes, press, etc., for five acres cost $245, interest on which is $14.70. As it lasts 20 EXPENSES AND PROFITS. 255 years, 5 per cent, is allowed for depreciation, or $12.25 per y<^ar, or $26.95 per annum for use of kiln, of which one-fifth is charged to the one acre. One yard lasts about six years on our gravelly clay loam, rolling and fairly drained; worth $50 per acre, tax 50c. Crop for four years (1893-'97) averaged 80 boxes, or 960 lbs. per acre; set 7x7 ft., or rearly 750 hills Ih n n. □ TJ "m d FIG. 137. HOMEMADE HOP PRESS. a. Studs to holil press together; 6, iiianner of supportin? press; c, bottom of press; d, finislied press. Four rods of 314 in. iron about 16 ft. lonar are bent, and ends welded toffetlier like lara:e chain links. These are passed through the floor above the press, where they are supported by sti ong scatitlin,' 4x4. In the lower ends place timbers 4x6 as befl pieces, b. The hnttom, r, is made of 2 in. planks 2 ft. long, with end strips 3>^ ft. in length. The studs, a, at the sides, are of 2x5 in. stuff, mortised into the bottom and held together by a long mor- tise at the top. The sides are shown in d. The box may be 5 ft. long inside, 18 in. wide, and 6 ft. high. per acre. First year's expenses are $24 (of which one-sixth is charged up annually), and includes 10 loads of manure $5, fitting ground $3. roots $1. planting $3, cultivating and hoe- ing four times $6, five loads manure to cover hills $2.50, interest and taxes $3.50, poles (two to a hill) 1500 per acre, cost 2c each delivered, or $30, and being good for six years, 256 THE HOP. cost $5 per year. The annual expenses in the second and subsequent years will average as follows: Animal ehai'ge on first cost $4.00 Grubbing, two days' work at $1.50.. 3.00 Poles $5, and poling Si-^ days $5.75 10.75 Sharpening poles (40c per 100, good for 3 yrs, $6), one year 2.00 Plowing botli ways, 1% days at $2 3.00 Cultivating four times at 75c 3.00 Hoeing twice, four days, at $1.50 G.OO Tying up vines V/2 days at .$1.25 1.87 Picking 80 boxes hops at 25c 20.00 Hoard 28 pickers 1G8 meals at 10c 10.80 Fotir box tenders two days at $1 8.00 Board box tenders, 24 meals at 10c 2.40 Put hops on kiln, two kilns at $1 2.00 Man to dry, two kilns at $1.50 3.00 Wood 2V2 cords, two kilns at $1.50 3.75 Brinis(one, two kilns .90 Baling five bales at ;50c, delivering 50c 2.00 Sacking $1.25, stacking poles $1.50 2.75 Total operating expenses $95.22 Fixed charges : Depreciation $5.93, rent $3, taxes, r)Oc 9.43 Aggregate (10.8c per lb. for 9G0 lbs.) $104.05 COST OF HOPS ON THE PACIFIC COAST California — Daniel Flint says a hop kiln for 50 acres with all things complete will cost $3500 to $4000. High wire trellis costs $80 to $90 per acre, 2000 roots $20. and Japanese will contract to do for $10.25 per acre all the hand labor on the crop until it is ready to harvest. Picking, curing and baling costs him $2200 on 64 acres, and $1500 on 40 acres, an average of about $35 per acre. Oregon, Washington Co. — E. C. Malloy submits a statement of a nine-acre hop yard started in 1893 on land worth $25 an acre, interest at 10 per cent, taxes 17 mills on the dollar. No man are is used, nor hoeing after the first season; kiln is 25x25 ft, 20 ft studding, that cost $200, two fur- naces and pipes $54. warehouse $125, total on building $379. The harvesting equipment, picking and curing the first crop cost $51. Plowing, setting out, cultivating and poles for the first crop, produced the same year, $281, interest and taxes $29. This makes an even $1200 for cost of first crop, or $133 an acre for a yield averaging 1300 lbs., which would have to net lie per lb. to pa-'- all t'^ese expenses and leave the yard in good shape. For the next crop it cost $1.25 per acre for cleaning up yard. $11.25: $12 per acre for setting poles, tying up hops and cultivating, $108: harvesting, curing, baling, etc.. $472; interest, insurance, taxes, and depreciation on the whole outfit, $107. This made the second crop cost $698. or over ?77 per acre, equal to 6c per lb. on 1300 lbs. per acre. "To further show the uncertainties of this business, especially in this region, I want to say that instead of getting 11 and 6c for those crops. I got 5% and 4c, while many others con- EXPENSES AND PROFITS. 25? signed their hops on advances of 2 to 2^c per lb. and never got another cent." Okegox: a Polk Co. Report — For the first plowing in spring, one man and two horses will plow four acres a day, at $2 per day, which is 50c per acre. One man and one horse will cultivate down five acres a day at $1.50 per day, or 30c per acre. Cross plowing will cost the same a-^ first plowing, and cross leveling the same as first culti- Drying hops, including wood and sulphur, Ic; pressing in- over five acres a day at a cost of 40c per acre; three addi- tional cultivatings will cost the same each. Smoothing, or clod smashing, both ways, one man and one horse, five acres, or ten acres one way, will cost 30c per acre. It takes 12 lbs. of 10-ply cotton twine for an acre, at 12c per lb. Putting ou twine, one man, five acres one way, costs 40c per acre twined both ways. Land is worth $75 an acre, interest 8 per cent., taxes $1.50 per acre, repairs and depreciation on tools $1.25. Three sprayings will require 18 Ihs. quassia chips $1.08, 36 lbs. whale-oil soap $1.80, labor $2, repairs 37c, total $5.25. This gives us for one acre: Cnltivatinp: as nhove SS.fiO Hanliiifr 40c, and setting stakes .S2 2.40 New stakes 81.. "iO, twine and twining .$1.84 3.34 Hoeing and sin'onting liills 3.00 Training vines four times fi.OO Pinning snrplns vines 2.00 Cleaning yard in fall 1.2r) Interest and taxes 7.90 Spraying three times 5.25 Total (about 21/30 per lb. for 1,500 lbs. of cured hops) $34.74 Picking at 40c per box will cost about 3c per lb., antl yard help (including delivering hops at kiln) %c more, vating. With disk harrow, one man and two horses will go clnding hop cloth, five yards to the bale, at 8c, %c; insur- ance, interest and repairs on plant, warehouse storage, etc., Ic, making a total of harvesting expenses of SV^c a pound. The crop will therefore cost the grower about 8c per lb. These figures are not the itemized expenses of any one grower in any particular year, but will cover the average cost for the last three years (1896-7 ^^ of those who own and work their own hop yards. "I do not think tnat anv one man's itemized expenses for any one year is a safe basis from which to draw conclusions. 3S my hops have not cost me exactly the phttip any two years." Oti-foox, Yamhill Co.. .T. W. F.— My hop garden contains 20.37 acre'?, valued at $125 n^r acre. The hills are eight feet apart each way, a total of 12.915 hills. The poles are fir and cost on the yard two cents apiece, or $258.30. The kiln is an octagonalbuildinp^. 28 ft. each way in the clear, with storeroom combined 20x24 ft: with furnace, piping and press, it cost $910; 150 sacks $30, five measuring boxes of cedar, hold- 17 258 THE HOP. ing nine bushels each, $4.50. We use no fertilizer, as to culti- vate the ground well is all that is necessary here, the soil being of a clayey nature, mixed with a very small amount of sand. Hops at this date (Feb. 14, '98) are nearly all sprouted or up, now and then one an inch long. My '97 crop was 16,187 lbs., or an average of 795 lbs. per acre, and cost a fraction over 7c per lb., as follows: rieanins; np and bxiniing vines $!14.00 Grubbing $35, setting poles $27, twine $16.90 78.90 Putting twine on poles $7, training and hoeing $158, plowing $58, harrowing $9 232.00 Rolling $11, reversible disk harrowing $22 33.00 Spraying 46.00 I'icliing 1,258 boxes at 40e 503.20 Yard man during picking 27.00 Two men to measure hops 39.00 Man and team to liaul green hops to kiln 28.00 Two men at kiln 11 davs at $2 each 44.00 440 yards of baling clo'lh. 37.40 Baling 88 bales at 20c 17.60 Twine to sew up bales 2.70 Kiln cloth $5.10, 600 lbs. sulphur $10, fuel $10 25.10 Oil for press and lights 2.00 Two men and teams to draw hops to station 5.50 Insurance and taxes 34.53 Total cost 1,169.93 Balance net profit 934.38 Total crop sold at 13c per lb 2.104,31 WASHINGTON, KING COUNTY, 1897 CROP (By Alexander Adair). Grubbing $50, setting poles $50 Tying up vines Plowing and cidtivating Spraying, three men and horse 10 days. Quassia chips, whale-oil soap Picking, $1 per box Six men eight days at $2 Insurance on hops and kilns $2,000 Freight on hops to Seattle Hop cloth and sulphur Total Harvested and sold, lbs Sold at 8c per lb Loss on crop Ten acres. $100.00 25.00 100.00 50.00 36.00 456.00 96.00 55.00 45.45 41.00 $1,004.45 11,700 $936.00 68.45 One acre. $10.00 2.50 10.00 5.00 3.60 45.00 9.60 5.50 4.54 4.10 $100.44 1,170 $93.60 6.84 RAISING THE CROP IN THE NORTHWEST. British Coh^mhia (Major R. M. Hornby) — Before going into hop culture, the novice should realize that it is one of the most uncertain of crops, that two good crops, three medium and two failures can be reckoned on every seven years, both as to yield and value. Only the best hops are now wanted. Such require the best land, outfit and methods. The cost of starting is large, and for an eight-acre yard (yielding 1800 lbs. of cured hops per acre in a favorable season) may thus be estimated. EXPEI^SES AND PROFITS. 259 Hop kiln, 24x24 ft., with stove complete $1,250 Poles, 7 ft. apart, 820 per acre, at $30 per 1,000 177 1,G40 hop sets per acre, at $3 per 1,000 40 Marking out yard and planting sets at $5 per acre 40 100 hop boxes of 15 bu. capacity 100 Two double-acting spray pumps, with barrels and sleigli 50 Hop press 165 Total first cost $1,822 The annual charges include interest and 15 per cent, depreciation on the above items of first cost, together aggre- gating $325 a year. Good hop land is worth at least $100 an acre, and interest and :axes may be added to the following figures. No insurance is included because the rate is too high, and proper care is cheaper than to pay insurance. Neither do we use manure on our rich lands, on the Pacific coast, which saves a large item that eastern and foreign hop growers have to pay, and their yield per acre under favorable conditions is not as large as ours. When yard forms part of farm, horses and implements are not charged to initial expenses, because they are part of the farm outfit. With this explanation we get the following: ANNUAL EXPENSES ON EIGHT-ACRE YARD. Depreciation and interest $325 Setting up poles at $5 per acre 40 Credit the farm for one man, two horses, with use of imple- ments for all horse cultivation and work 250 Tyings at $3, $1 and 50c per acre 36 Spraying once $4 (may be $12), say $7 per acre 56 Pickir.g 1,81 lbs. per acre at $1 per box 504 Curing and drying 90 Baling by four men twodays $12, floor and baling cloth, string $30 42 Cleaning up yard at $2.50, hauling to depot $1 27 Total annual expenses $1,370 Profit if all goes well 730 Receipts for 1,800 lbs. per acre at 15c on eight acres $2,100 Sometimes the yield is larger, more often less. The price is oftener less than more. The above makes an ex- pense of about $171 per acre, or about 10c per lb. on a good, full crop. But the expense up to harvesting is the same, whether the yield is large or small, the quality good or bad. With the wide fluctuations in crop results, it is easy to see that cost per pound of hops in the bale may easily mean far above 10c per lb. and seldom below it. With market prices ranging from 5c to 25c. the speculative nature of the indus- try is apparent, as many have learned to their sorrow. APPEISTDIX STATISTICS OF THE HOP TRADE. RECEIPTS OF DOMESTIC HOPS AT NEW YORK (In bales). Crop of 1890. 8,374 24,809 23,411 6,430 4,778 4,114 5,636 2,697 2,789 3,789 3,320 2,989 93.136 22,804 70,332 1891. 5,572 20,200 27,386 24,242 15,775 8,954 5,597 5,842 2,239 964 1,885 1,767 120,423 54,619 1892. 1893. 1894. 5,180 26,466 32,339 30,088 21,236 12,100 11,340 7,051 8,749 3,282 3,049 166,241 83,749 ~82,492 1895. 3,216 22,086 36,015 22,028 17,495 15,257 13,215 4,644 3,179 3,432 2,515 1,348 144,430 76,506 67,924 1896. 1897. Av. September.. ()ctol>er November.. December . . January February . .. Mareli . ." April May 2,926 14,376 19,882 23,302 13,819 5,162 8,361 6,316 6,583 10,119 9,(!28 8,664 129,1.38 64,205 64,933 9,305 25,399 31,669 24,141 10,595 7,883 6,792 5,418 5,704 5,423 4,629 4.3.35 2,778 16,836 34,712 13,930 7,297 6,565 2,911 2,998 2,039 2 222 1J21 1,440 1)5,449 51,892 "43^557 3,388 15,074 21,190 30,626 25,408 8,125 5,802 3,844 1,569 2,195 1,500 1,952 120.673 87,165 5,092 20,656 28,325 21,848 14,550 8,145 7,456 4,826 4,106 3,928 3,819 June July AUfTUSt 3,193 Tot. rec'ts. Exj^ortert . 141,293 74,623 "66,670 126.348 64,445 Dom. use . 65,804 33,508 61,903 EXPORTS OF HOPS FROM THE PORT OF NEW YORK (In bales). Crop of September.. ()ctol>er Noveml)er.. December . . January Febriuiry . . . 3Iareli. ..".... A])ril ]\I;iv 1890. 2,086 7,083 5,540 1,271 698 1,041 1,405 218 946 640 1,474 402 1891. 3,681 4,748 16,393 18,260 6,376 2,124 1,776 578 19 18 646 54,619 70,000 78 1892. 1,007 8,653 7,615 10,697 12,497 2,287 1,357 4,176 2,377 4,672 5,146 3,721 64,205 64,000 1893. 4.223 6,890 21,217 14,028 10,102 3,867 2,578 2,530 2,677 2,713 2,872 926 1894. 1,218 7,927 10,692 21,970 13,2(>0 8,404 9.183 4.448 1,083 2,964 1,442 1,158 1895. 800 7,875 16,390 19,858 9,084 7,973 9,094 2,351 1,380 1,319 237 145 76.506 93.000 1896. 513 8,625 13,956 11,326 5,626 3,487 4,956 856 357 947 844 399 51,892 63,000 1897. ""3,010 3,976 10,754 23,459 26,526 11,372 4,554 948 785 1,123 962 716 87,185 95,000 Av. ""2,067 6,972 12.794 15,108 10,396 5,069 4,.S.50 2,013 1,028 June July August 1,799 1,8.54 1.014 Tot. N. Y . . Tot. U.S... 22,804 49,000 47 74.623 97,000 77 83,749 97,000 87 t.4,448 78,000 % via N. Y. 100 82 82 91 85 AVERAGE MONTHLY PRICE PER POUND In cents, of clioice state hops at Ne^v York city. The periods are for the years inclusive. Sept .2.52 Oct. .255 Nov .267 Dec .267 Jan Feb .250 Mar .235 Apr .229 May .226 Jun .216 July .21 Aug 1874-1896. . . .258 .202 1874-1878... .254 .251 .252 .245 .2.36 .224 .201 .187 .186 .183 .178 .18 1879-1883... .346 .375 .435 .459 .442 .429 .416 .409 ..396 .367 .350 .322 18^4-1888... .250 .236 .225 .210 .192 .183 .175 .167 .164 .170 .178 .181 1889-1893. . . .251 .249 .247 .241 .248 .248 .230 .2.35 .243 .234 .219 .209 1894-1896. . . .10 .103 .117 .123 .113 .108 .10 .091 .09 .08 .076 .07 261 262 THE HOP. rn Cfi Ah ■^ O D X O H s H *^ < OJ U a :_) ,,,^ O *J X ^j U M ih o ^ , — 1 rr » -c o ^ e« tf 04 W ^ _^ ^ r/l 05 0) o M) H K < & H >> O — H ti i) -9 ^ b o >H CO 1-H rH .-H >-l C^ (M ^ IC05»CfOC^»CCO'^iM(Noocct-05onac;o ^^^^ CO !M C<5 t- eCH-H r-l ?^ rH (N ?l CC Ol (N »-• rH oiooi-ooo?oM^oiCTtCC-5 05©XOI- ^^^^ CO-MINOTCIrH^-iI-li-IS^l^C^JO^C^^^ i-(.-l -fccofCiS'iocoi--*co^5(^^oco^--^OMco^'H»^^c5 •^^^^^■TjlJ^C-lOiC'li-llHe^l^C^Ij-irtC-IC^IMrH rn^-l ■^^Cvl^,_I^C^cqOc^,H»-tI^.-lC50M-*ocoooe^i:-oorH-^ii:)C«'#ooc^co(N.Ho;c<;oo Tjl.-lC^I-Hr-l'^CqiNOC-lf-lrHC^r-IOIl-HCOC^C^IO^llH .HrH 00»COMlCrHC«500cqOCa5S^05t-M«OOOOC»O^C^a5MO 1* rH CCiH rH Tt< (M C^ O S^ rH ^ -tcOC^iMO'*'t-05 ^^CCl^i-l"*I-C<^iOO'^OiOt--HrH,-lrHrH »c^-^-cclOl^5'*'oo^-?^c-10l-lco^ocCl-lrl<(^^coolnoC'-| Tf,-ICO.-lr-lrj<;^rO.-;?l(M.-iC05^!N.-ITt<0^5-IC^iMC^.H'*,H(M*<01O'*OOa005Ot-tDC^O»00^»aDl:~50'*i-l©i-Ht-rH ■*rH'*,HrH->i5H-*,-llMC^r-(rH,-CrH^ J. A oia>o-(<4n;DOieooot-»e-IT}<,-(,-lCO(NC^lOOl!M»HC0C< 22 (a 24 20 (525 13 rttl7 9 @11 9 (all 21 fa 24 22^(525 16 ^18 lOialS 10 (a 13 22 «23 22^ia25 17 fdlS 14 (a 16 11 (aV2\ 211 a 23 23 (524 18 (5)20 14 (a 15 10Jal2 •2na22h 23 ^24 18 (ffil9 IShaU 10 fall 21 a23 23 ,a25 17 fal9 ll^al3 10 (all 18 (a 21 21 ra23 16h(aiW 10 (alH 9 (»10 18 (a 19 21 (a21^ 15i(al6i 10 (alO^ 8 (alO 16 (a 18 20^ra22 15 «16i 9 (a 10 8 @ 9 14 (a 16 21 ^22^ 12i@14^ 9 (alO 8 (a 9 12 @U 21 (a22 lli®12i 9 (alO 7 (glO 10 @12 21 (§22 15 (a 16 @ 19 a 20 (a 21 (a 25 ra 24 a 26 (a 28 @ 24 Cd 24 @ 24i(ffi 18 23 17 43 2135 22 32 28 32 27 33 25; 28 32 27 30 29 29 30 26 22 27 1 17 fa 28 (547 547 (a 45 Ca38 ra 36 (aSl (532 (a 32 (532 Ca28 @20 14 (§16 11 §13 11 (514 13 (al4i 13 (516 13 (520 14 rtt20 16 (§18 18 (§20 20 (§22 20 (§23 21 (§28 2(54 THE HOP. HOP CROP OF THE WORLD. Crop of rtl897 310 99 38 256 1896 353 136 43 281 813 175 1895 368 95 42 343 848 292 1140 1894 404 109 38 395 1893 130 74 33 257 494 268 1892 300 79 44 257 680 223 903 1891 1890 rjermany Austria . . France. .. England . 269 72 36 272 164 65 54 176 Total. .. U. S 703 200 903 946 320 1266 649 208 857 459 205 Aggre'ate 988 762 664 a American Aqriculturist's preliminary estimate. This journal is an aeeepted authority on America's liop crop, but It frankly admits that this crop is one of the most difficult to re})ort upon for obvions reasons. The figures of each cx'op are subject to final revision at the close of each year when data are available of the interior and foreign movement. HOP CROPS AND PRICES. This table shows, for many years, the bales of hops produced each season in the United States and in Enrope (including England), the total constituting about 95% of the world's supply. It also gives the number of b.iles of each crop exported from the Unitetl States, and the imports of foreign hops into the United States, with average yearly United States expi>rt prices and Hamburg import values. In lionsands of bales of 180 lbs. net. Av. cts aU. S. per lb. c Crop of U. S. Enrope Total U. S. U. S. 6Ham- crop. crop. crop. exi)orts imports burg. 1897 200 695 895 95 14 13.8 1896 175 813 988 63 17 10.2 1895 292 848 1,140 93 15 8.8 1894 320 946 1,266 97 17 10.7 1893 268 494 762 97 5 22.0 1892 223 680 903 63 15 23.7 1891 208 649 815 70 13 19.3 26 1890 205 4.59 661 49 21 26.6 26 1889 218 717 935 42 36 29.0 20 1888 69 31 22.4 21 1887 39 28 17.4 19 1886 1 103 21.0 21 1885 76 15 12.5 24 1884 35 9 19.7 33 1883 75 4 24.1 50 1882 125 387 512 43 12 71.8 40 1879 'j5 379 474 54 26.3 26 1874 110 428 538 17 41.9 41 A v. '81-90 193 746 939 H50.1 L 19 '85-89 190 773 963 H20.7 L19 '81-85 196 720 916 H50.1 L25 '76-80 152 647 799 H30.0 L21 a Average annual export value (in cents per lb.) of hops shipped from the United States. 6 Average annual value (in cents per lb.) of all hops imported into Hamburg, Germany. H, Highest average an- nual import value of hops imported into Hamburg, during the period noted; L, lowest, c Observe that the year given is that in which the crop was produced. Hops consumed per bbl. of beer: United States, 1 to IV4 lbs.; Eng- land, IV2 to 2V2 lbs. ;Germany and elsewhere, % to 1V2- A barrel of beer, U. S., contains .32 imperial gallons, or 31 gallons net. Gross weight of a bale of hops: United States, 185 lbs., legal tare 5 lbs., actual tare 7 to 9 lbs. ; foreign hops imported into United States, 350 to 600 lbs. per bale, averaging 430 lbs., with a tare of 14 lbs. APPENDIX. 265 ACREAGE IN HOPS (so far as ascertainable). England France Germany Austria.! Total Europe... New York Washington Oregon California Total United Sts World's aggregate. 1897 50,863 6,122 98,767 35,108 190.86(» 1896 1895 1894 59,535 7,204 104,241 38,048 209,088 30,177 10,000 15,000 8,600 54,207 6,428 101,709 36,431 198,785 22,190 4,500 12,0(»0 7.200 58,940 7,939 103,923 3!),765 •-'10,567 26,238 5,700 16,500 8,500 19,730 3,000 9,000 6,000 37,735 228,595 45,890 56,938 267,505 ii.i,777 244,675 •J72,865l 1893 1892 57,564 6,921 103,901 37,626 56,259 6,728 107,282 36,857 206,012 207,126 1891 56,142 6,592 107,791 36,679 i07,204 32,300 9,000 10,000 8,000 33,100 8,000 6,000 7,000 59,3001 54,100 34,000 6,101 3,900 5,340 49,941 i65,3l2l261,226i257,145 181M "53,961 6,968 110,681 38,708 210.318 35,000 4,.J38 2.620 4,015 45,973 2.56,291 Yield per acre kiln-cured packed hops : Eui'o]ie, 400 to 750 lbs., s.ny 500 lbs. in good year; England, 905 lbs. in '97, 936 lbs. in '94 and 888 lbs. as the official average for t lie yeiirs 1886-95; New \''ork, 400 to 1,200 lbs., say 900 lbs. ; Pacific coast, 600 to 2,000 !l>s., say 1,200 as a fair average in a good year. Germany's ten-year aveiage is 510 ll)s. per acre, largest crop averaged 730 lbs. per acre in 1894, lowest 260 lbs. per acre in 1893. COMPAKATIVE RANK OF UNIIED STATES HOP SECTIONS, ING TO THE CENSUS OF 1890. ACCORD- Rank. Counties. Slate. Acres. Total crop. Lbs. Per acre. Lbs. 1 Otsego New York 7,749 4,698,687 606 2 Madison New Yorlc 6,956 4,094,440 589 3 Oneida New York 6,002 3,704.341 617 4 Pierce Washington 2,191 3,699,671 1.689 5 King Wasiiington 1,708 3,238,075 1,831 6 Schoharie \ew Yorlc 5,563 3,148,885 566 7 Sacramento California 963 2,1.34.r,06 2,217 8 Sonoma California 1,046 1,26;; 610 1,208 9 Marion )regon 974 1,169,()57 1,201 10 Franklin Vew York 2,930 1,106,123 378 UNITED STATES CENSUS OF HOP CROPS IN POUNDS. 1890. 1880. 1870. 1860. 1850. New York . . . 20,063,029 21,628,931 17,558,681 9,671,931 2,536,299 AVashington. 8,313,280 703,277 6,962 44 California... 6.547,3.38 1,444,077 625,0(;4 80 Oregon... .. 3,613,726 244,371 9,745 493 8 Wisconsin. .. 428,547 1,966,827 4,630,1,55 135,587 15,9.30 Other 205,350 39,171,270 558,895 26.54r>,378 2,626,062 25,456,669 1,183.861 10,991,996 944,792 Total 3,497,029 UNITED STATES CENSUS OF ACREAGE AND VALUES. States. Acreage. Values. 1890. 35,552 5,282 3,796 3,223 871 238 1889. 36,670 5,113 3,974 3,130 967 358 1879. 1890, 1889. New York . .. Washington. California. . . Oregon Wisconsin . .. Other states. 39,072 534 1,119 304 4,439 332 f6,068,163 2,284,955 1,521,847 1,047,224 142,198 41,037 $2,210,137 841,206 605,842 322,700 51.983 27,829 U. S 48,962 50,212 46,800 $11,105,424 $4,059,697 266 THE HOP. GERMANY'S FOREIGN TRADE IN HOPS. In bales, 180 pounds net. Crop of Exp'iMs. 1896 111,495 1895 135,613 1894 41,746 1893 118,516 1892 118,020 1891 124,778 1890 208,999 1889 127,100 1888 144,197 1887 226,010 1886 167,880 1885 159,322 1884 93,497 1883 21,864 Av. 129,327 Imp'rts, 39,103 22,647 50,615 20,803 24,729 14,970 22,747 13,095 15,153 13,975 19,439 13.646 19,445 7,258 19.65() Net exp't 72,392 112,922 a 38,869 97,713 93,219 109,808 186,252 114,005 124,044 212,035 148,441 145,676 74,052 14,606 109,993 a Net import. GREAT BRITAIN'S IMPORTS OF HOPS BY YEARS. (BALES.) Cal From To- Value Value yi- U. S. tal. U.S. Other. 1896 76 129 14c 12c 1895 95 130 15c 13c 1894 68 118 20c 18c 1893 88 127 26c 24c 1892 50 117 24c 22c 1891 50 121 23c 22c 1890 45 117 22c 20c 1889 48 125 15c 15c 1888 56 135 17c 16c 14c 16c 21c 30c 31c 35c 35c 21c IMPORTS, EXPORTS AND TOTAL SUPPLY IN GREAT BRITAIN. (Tliousancis of bales, 180 lbs. net.) 1897 1896 1895 1894 1893 1892 1891 1890 Av'90-5 1889 Ex- Im- Net Eiig'li p'ls. p'ts. Im't crop. 256 7 129 122 257 8 135 127 344 13 118 105 396 11 127 116 258 7 117 110 257 6 122 116 272 8 117 109 177 9 123 114 284 11 124 113 Tot. snp'y 380 471 501 374 367 388 286 398 IT. S. FOREIGN TRADE, SUPPLY AND CONSUMPTION, a Crop Ex- Net Im- Total of p'ts. 63 sup'ly 112 p'ts. 17 sup'ly 129 1896 1895 93 199 15 214 1894 97 223 17 240 1893 97 171 5 176 1892 63 170 15 175 1891 70 138 13 151 1890 49 143 21 164 Con*. ~177 184 184 171 178 164 1^ *ConsumpMon at 1 lb. of luTjis lo abl)l.of beer, a In thousands of bales. ENGLISH HOP CROPS COMPARED. Crop of 1897 1896 1895 1894 In thousands bales, 180 lbs. Kent 153 199 197 264 Oth 103 83 147 132 Tot 256 282 344 396 Av. yearly prices, cts. per lb. Exp' t 16 14 16 21 Imp't 15 12 13 20 Average import value in 1893 was 26c per lb.; '92, 24c; '91, 23f ; '90, 22c; '89, 15c; and in 1888 it was 17c. HALF-YEAR'S FOREIGN TRADE, Jan. 1 TO JULY 1, IN BALES. Great Britain Imports Exports Net. Imp'ts. United States Exports Imports Net exv>'ts. . 1897 35,206 3,497 31,709 21,554 8,126 13,428 1896 62,404 3,016 59,388 42,237 8,507 33,730 1895 65,770 3,450 62,324 48,881 6,157 42,734 U. S. HOP CROPS COMPARED. [In thousands bales of 180 lbs. net.] Crop Faci'c N. Y. Total Av. exp. of coast. 135 state. u. s. 200 value lb. 1897 65 15.4 c 1896 100 75 175 10.2 C 1895 182 110 292 8.8 c 1894 180 140 320 10.7 c 1893 143 125 268 22.0 c. 1892 105 118 223 23.7 c 1891 94 114 208 19.3 c 1890 92 100 192 26.6 c A ten-year statement (1883-'92) shows Germany's imports to have come, on 'the average, from Austria 90%, from Belgium 3%, from France 1%, from Russia 2%, from other countries 4%. Germany's exports during tlie period noted averaued : To Austria 6%, to Russia 2%, to England 6%, to France 13%, to Belgium 11%, to Sweden 2%, to the United States (average for 1887-'92) 8%, to other cotmtries 24%. Germany's exports to the United States ranged from 7,500 cwt. (of 110 lbs) in 1887 to 46,000 cwt. in the trade year ended Aug. 31, 1890. APPENDIX. 267 world's production and consumption of hops For lSSi-'S6, from the Deutschen Hopfenbati J^ereiu, which gave it wp 1889 as unreliable. From 1887-'96, tioni the Vienna Brewers' Journal. [In metric hundredweight of 110 lbs.] in World's World's consumpt'n. production. 1884 1,604,400 1885 1,549,000 1,888,550 1886 1,655.000 1,846,810 1887 1,698,021) 1 ,607.000 1888 1,615,000 1,569,200 1889 1,606,486 1,967,250 1890 1,546,915 1,096,000 1891 1,566,642 1,456,440 1892 1,592,311 1,527,715 World's consumpt'n. 1,669,791 1,725,762 1,744,439 1,923,756 World's production. 1893 1894 1895 1896 1,481,300 2,205,510 2,012,155 1,994,370 Tollcwt Av. A V bales 180 lbs 19,893,128 1,657,760 1,013,075 22,256,700 1,712,054 1,046,255 BEER PRODUCTION. United States data are official. Returns for the world are from Brewers' Journal, Vienna. [In millions of barrels of 31 gallons.] Year. U. S. World. YEAR. 1891 U. S. World. 1865 4 30 167 1870 7 1892 32 172 1880 13 1893 35 173 1885 19 1894 33 175 1887 23 147 1895 33 179 1888 25 145 1896 35 197 1889 25 148 1897 34 200 1890 28 166 RELATIVE CONSUMPTION OF BEERS AND OTHER LIQUORS. E. Struve, in Wochenschrift fiir Brauerei, Berlin, 1896, esti- mates that the wine consumed in France, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium contains 6% of aU-oliol, against 7% in Austria, Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, and 8% in Great Britain, Russia and the United States. For the beer consumed an average proportion of 4% alcohol was adopted, and for spirituous liquors 33.3%. The table is based on official returns and shows the annual consumption per capita for 1895. In liters (1 liter equals 2.113 pints U. S., or just about 1 quart). Country. Belgium France Denmark Germany Great Britain Switzerland Austria-Hungary, Holland Russia Norway United States Sweden Wine. 3.7 103.0 1.0 5.7 1.7 55.0 22.1 2.6 3.3 1.0 1.8 0.4 Beer. 169.2 22.4 33.3 106.8 145.0 37.5 35.0 29.0 4.7 15.3 47.0 11.0 Spirits 14.1 12.4 26.7 13.2 8.4 9.3 12.4 14.1 14.1 12.0 7.7 4.8 Alcohol consumption. Wine. 0.22 6.18 0.07 0.34 0.13 3.30 1.54 0.18 0.26 0.07 0.14 0.03 Beer. Spirits 6.76 4.7 0.90 4.04 1.33 8.9 4.27 4.4 5.80 2.8 1.50 3.1 1.40 4.15 1.16 4.7 0.19 4.7 0.61 4.0 1.88 2.58 0.44 1.6 Total. 11.68 11.12 10.30 9.01 8.73 7.90 7.09 6.14 5.15 4.68 4.60 2.07 BELGIUM HOP TRADE, 1890. Lbs. Value. Exports Imports 12,111,228 10,586,895 $2.443,.546 2,533,636 Net exports 1,524,333 ^ 208 THE HOP. QUOTATIONS ON HOPS In America, are in cents per lb. avoirdui^ois. In England, are in ponnds and shillines per cwt. of 11'2 lbs. In Germany, are in marks per metric cwt. of ilO lbs. Reckoning one mark as eqnal to '23.8c, and £1 (one i)onnd sterling) at ijf-l.SG, the following tables show the equiv- alent of foreign qnotations in U. S. enrrency per lb. German Marks per 110 lbs. eqnal U. S. cents per lb. 5]M=1.0Sc 35M=7.59c 50 M=10.81c 80M=17.30c 10 ]M=*J.lGc 38 M=8.'22c 51 M=ll.G8c 90 Mzrl9.4Tc 20 M=4.32c 40 M=8.05c 60 ]M=12.98o 95 Mi=20.55c 25 M=5.40c 42 M=9.08c 68 M=14.70c 100 M=:21.G3c 30 M=6.49c 45 M=9.73c 70 M=15.14c English pounds and shillings per 112 lbs. ec[ual U. S. cents per lb. 1£ =4.33c 1£ 8s=5.59c 1£ 18s= 8.18c 5£=:21.65c 1£ ls=4.54c 1£ 10s=6.49c 2£ = 8.660 6£zz25.98c 1£ 2s=4.75c 1£ 12s=i6.90c 3£ =12.99c 7£=30.31c 1£ 3s=r4.91c 1£ 14s=7.33c 4£ =17.32c 8£=34.64c 1£ 5s=5.40c 1£ 15s=7.57c The German Hop Growers' Association Is quite an effective institution, under the presidency of Herr Von Sodcn with Mr. A. Fairth as vice president. Its prime object is the obtaining of crop reports from its branch associations and local members, as well as the dissemination of information of general Interest to planters. Its official organ is Deutschen Hopfenbau-Verein, edited by Mr. Fairth, to whom we are indebted for numerous courte- sies The branch organizations of this association, with the director of each and his post-office address, are as follows : BAVARIA--Spalt and Spalterland, director Landrath Herkenschlager, Hauslach bei Georgenogmund ; Hersbruckerland, director T. von Soden,Vorra; Neustadt, director Steward Sorg, Newstadt on the A; Oberbayern, director Mayor of Aichbichlerland and Delegate Imperial Diet, Wolnzach; Niederbayern, director G. Zieglmeier, Katzenhofen ; Kindiiig, director Ihirgomasier Zaigler, Kinding. "WUKTEMBERG -- Neckar, director Verwalter Distlen, Flemmingen; Schwarzwalkdkreis, director City Counsel Edelmann, Rotten- burg on N; Donankreis, director Delegate of Diet Bueble, Tetlnang. BADEN'-Director Burgomaster Mechling, Schwetzinger. East and West rKUSsiA--Direclor AViepkingin, Tathannen. The bulk of the trade in hops in Germany is concentrated at Nu- remberg, but every large town has trade chambers, at which there is some buying of hops. The principal market places for Austrian hops are Saaz, Auscha and Danba. In Alsace, Hagnenan is the most important hop center; Frankfort-on-the-Main, Mayence-Mannheim are also important cen- ters of great hop denlers, bu't not for the sale of hops by growers. For Baden, the hop center is Schwetzinger. In Belgium, Alost and rojier- inghe are the chief centers, but the dealers also meet regularly at the exchanges in Brussels and Antwerp, Mhere large transactions are con- ducted. In France the most important hop markets are Dijon and Luiieville. THE HOP DICTIONARY Glossary of Technical Terms Pertaining to Hops and the Hop Trade, Including Hints on Curing and Other Practical Points By N. K. WAIvTTKR GROWERS who have not good equipment (facilities in one locality may not suffice in another) and cannot get an experi- enced and good dryer, should never contract their hops because CURING is difficult; the variety, nature, development of the hop, and climatic and weather conditions playing an important part. Each season they may differ, and often each day, and even picking (morning and afternoon) must be differently ma- nipulated. Proper knowledge of drying takes years to acquire and cannot be learned in several seasons. HARVESTING, HANDLING, CONDITION— Hops should be well cultivated and cared for, be of good, bright, even color, well matured but not over-ripe, cleanly picked and properly cured; put up in sound condition and merchantable shape, in new mate- rial and in correct and uniform bales. CONTRACTS call for choice goods, unless distinctly other- wise specified; that is, an excellent article and only the best grade. Usage has established that all contracts — purchases and sales — are made "severally as to bales," and there is no averag- ing to grade or sample, each bale stands on its own merits. There is no averaging' to a grade or sample, because buyers often have absolutely no outlet for anything below the standard bought on, and further, that below certain grades there is often positively no market, and it is therefore impossible at times to estimate the value of inferior goods. INSPECTION— Buyer has the right of accepting each and every bale equal to purchase, and the privilege of rejecting all that class below. Changes in quality, due to difference in bulk, wrapping, storage and general outward surroundings and con- ditions, may take place in a few hours, and therefore samples may not represent the distinct bales from which they were taken. Example: A sample taken from hops, newly baled in slack condition, wrapped in paper and mailed, might dry out, and reach intending purchaser entirely changed, whereas a re- drawn (a fresh sample) or a tryer sample, from the same bale, would show such slackness and would therefore be reason to reject. In other words, the identical bale, the original sample from which reached the buyer with every indication of sound- ness, would, due to large bulk, depending upon storage condi- tions largely, either heat or sour. For the reason cited in foregoing example and other changes that might occur, it is an accepted fact that samples, as a rule, are unreliable as an indication of the condition (and therefore 269 270 THE HOP. quality) of a hop in bale, except at the time they are drawn. Changes often talce place so quickly, as already explained, that samples are often useless as a guide a few days, and even at times a few hours, after they are talcen. JUDGMENT— The reason that the inspection by buyer, or his expert agent, is, through usage, accepted as final, is because there must be some experienced judge to determine whether the hops are up to requirements and in sound and proper condition, and the buyer, after acceptance, assumes all risks in changes that may take place in storage and transit, while seller is relieved from all responsibility after he has delivered. Experts, through varied experience, can tell the merits and defects of a hop, and may be able to attribute the cause of shortcomings, though they are rarely hop dryers. DISEASE or VERMIN, SPRAYING and WEATHER DAM- AGE are always good causes for rejection under contracts. STORAGE — Hops, being delicate and sensitive, should have clean, good, cool, dry and dark storage — removed from moisture and away from anything that emits a decided or strong odor. WEIGHTS — Only full pounds count on each bale. Hops lose in weight, with age. GRADING — ^In the trade there are four divisions made In quality: First, choice; second, prime; third, medium, and fourth, common to poor. QUALITY AND CUASSIFICATION DO NOT CHANGE, BUT COMPARATIVE VALUES DO— Examples: A hop grading prime remains a prime hop, although in an excited market it may command the same price as choice, whereas, in a weak market, it is rarely worth more than medium. In years of world's shortage, common and poor bring as much as medium. In such seasons, there are really only two distinctions in the price of brewing hops, choice and prime commanding about the same figure, while there is little if any difference between me- dium, common and poor. In years of overproduction, choice only command top price, prime less, and medium sink to the lowest valuation; it is difficult to get a price even on mediums, when, of course, common and poor are practically valueless. Summing up: Supply and demand regulate values, but do not alter quality. flOP LAW is principally *'Law Merchant." Most terms and expressions in the hop business are purely technical. Rulings and decisions governing quality, condition, samples, inspection, etc., in cases covering other kinds of crops, will not necessarily apply to hops, because of their very nature, which is so different and distinct from other products. The customs controlling the tender, delivery, inspection, rejection, replacing and acceptance, are well established, and therefore controlled by trade usages, that is "Law Merchant.' THE HOP GLOSSARY ACRE— A hop acre is sometimes figured, regardless of land j-urface; at 1000 hills, or plant centers, as an acre, but unless so qualified means statute acre. AGING— Becoming old; or taking on the properties of former jears' growths. Losing in brewing virtue. AIRING— Permitting a free circulation of air between the bales or through the hops. When found slackish, the bales are separated "on end," to retard damage that would be promoted by close piling. The bales are sometimes opened at the side seams, and the hops loosened and holes made through them, to permit access of air, thus to prevent or arrest heating. Often the bales are torn apart and the hops opened out and spread on the cooling and kiln floors, to permit free exposure to the air. These should really be subjected to re-drying. Hops that require airing are generally sour, and therefore poor. The injury to APPENDIX. 271 value naturally depends upon the degree of resultant damage to quality and market conditions. ALL FAULTS— The English term for "as is." AS IS— Without privilege of rejection. A condition at times imposed on sales of lots containing damaged hops, or including injured and unmerchantable bales or a mixed lot. BABY BALE— A single, small, "lightweight" in an other- wise standard weight lot. BABY HOPS— See young hops. BAD COLOR— See off color. BAKED— Harsh and rough, with brewing quality damaged through improper ventilation and circulation of air in kilns dur- ing drying process. BALES— The packages of hops as they are marketed. These must be of regulation shape and requirements. See baling; also weight. BALING AND DIMENSIONS— Size varies somewhat, but the hop presses generally in use are the recognized stand- ards. The baling must be properly done, neat and clean, with new material and well sewed. See weight. BALINGS— See pickings. BASKETS— Small baskets used in gathering hops. BATCH — A single kiln flooring of hops. BERRY OR STROBILE— The hop. The catkins. Infrequently called buds (not burrs). BIN — The cooling room, or the divisions of a cooling room, which is sometimes partitioned off into compartments, to keep qualities (pickings, color and curings) separate for proper bal- ing. A name also given to a burlap bottomed framework into which green hops are picked. BINSMAN— In England, the person in charge of a gang, who also pulls poles and assists measuring and loading wagons. See field boss: also poleman. BliACK— A name sometimes given to heated hops. BLEACHING— The sulphuring. The term bleached is applied to hops that are naturally whitish, or those that have lost too much color from improper sulphuring. See sulphuring. BLIGHTED— Diseased. BOLD— Rather large and prominently flaky hops, that are serviceable but not silky. BOARDS— A term used in England for the shelves or tables on which the hop samples are shown. BOARDY— Hops hard pressed and wanting in life; not springy in bale. BOOKER— In England, the person who follows the measurer and enters proper credits or gives tickets to each picker for work done. BOXES— Boxes in which the picked hops are taken to the kilns. BOX MAN— See foreman. BRACTS— See petals. BREAD Y— The aroma of warm, newly baked bread. An indication of over-drying. See over-drying. BRIGHT— Brilliant and even in color. BROKEN— The berries parted, the petals largely loose and showing few whole berries, resulting from too much drying, untimely or improper baling. See al~o hard pressed; also shelly, powdered and chaffy. BL^DDING— A reprehensible method of throwing selected whole berries on the face of samples. BUDS— See catkins: also berry. BULK SAMPLES— A big representative line of samples from a lot. BURNT— See roasted. BLTRR — The burr or real bud— the undeveloped hop in its early stages of formation, before the petals form. 272 THE HOP BUTTERY-See oily. BUTTONY— Full berried. See flaky. BUYING AND SELLING— The purchase and sale of hops, which is always according- to grade or sample. Unless otherwise distinctly agreed, the transactions are subject to usual customs. CABBAGY— The cut edge of a sample resembling a cut sec- tion of a cabbage. Also called streaky. CAKED— Brick-like, lumpy (the berries sticking together in bale and lifeless). Indicates slackness. See also cold. CARLOAD— Unless otherwise qualified, means sixty regula- tion bales. See bales, baling, weights. CARPELS— See petals. CARPET— See kiln cloth. CASING Cor going through case in curing) — This is a reac- tionary sweating that takes place in the cooling room, promot- ing njellowness or silkiness, sometimes named the "second sweat," calling the "reek" the first sweat. CATKINS OR BUDS— See berry; for buds, see also burr. CHAFFY — Broken and brittle, powdery; also called mashy. CHEESY— The name sometimes given to the rancid odor of hops that are aging. See aging. CHIPPY— See cold; also harsh. CHOICE HOP— One that shows the entire bale to be of a g"ood, bright, even color, flaky (whole berries), cleanly picked, silky, rich in lupulin, g^ood flavor and properly cured and baled. See quality. CLAMMY— A cold, moist, sticky condition, indicating slack- ness. See slack. CLASSIFY — To grade samples. See grading. CLEAN— Refers to picking. Free of leaves and stems and all foreign matter. Properly picked. CLOTH— See hop cloth; also kiln cloth. COARSE — Full berries, wanting in silkiness. COLD — Clammy, slackish and usually immature. Also applied to a hop that has soured. If the hops do not heat, but simply sour in bale, then the berries will be hard and slightly caked, or what may be termed chippy. See souring. COMMON HOP— One that shows either flaky berries, or, if broken (not powdered), fair brewing quality. It may be somewhat poor in color and general conditions, but must be sound and put up properly. See quality. COMPLEXION— Color and sghtliness, particularly as to luster. CONDITION— The name sometimes given to lupulin. Brew- ing virtue. Further, it refers to curing- and marketable manner of baling. CONES— The hops. See berry. CONTRACTING— The engaging ahead of production. The selling and buving of "future" crops. See buying and selling. COOKED— See stewed. COOLING ROOM— The room or 1>uilding in which the hops, after being taken from the kilns, undergo the completion of the curing process. COPPER HOPS— Hops for the brewing kettles. Generally applied to those hops used for boiling, but not particularly adapted to flavoring in the vats, or for hopping. CORE OR HOP STEM— The strig. The axis of the strobile In contradistinction to the vine sterns. See stems. CROSS GRAINED— Diagonally packed, through tramping, or the "follower" of the press not working evenly. See curly. CRTTSTED— Hardening of the outward portions of the bale next to the cloth, caused by damp storage, and causing- caking, discoloring and a musty flavor. CULLS OR CULLING— Bales rejected upon inspection. APPE]S"DIX. 273 CURING— The process of drying hops on the kilns, together with their management in the cooling rooms. See drying; also curing guides, and casing. CUKING GL IDES— There are no positive rules to regulate the drying of hops. Each flooring may require different manip- ulation, and this requires stu'dy. aptitude and years of practical experience, because seasons differ. The following pomts, how- ever, are es.sential. LOW HEAT. GOOD DRAFTS, PROPER SULPHURING, and to complete the curing, intelligent manage- ment in the cooling room. See drying; also casmg. CURLY— Applied to a flaky hop when cross-grained. CUT— The cut Side of a sample. DEAD, Dl'LL OR J^EADY— Wanting in color, grayish and of a lifeless character. DELICATE— Tender in texture and of fine flavor. DIMENSIONS— See baling. DIRTY— Refers to picking, and is applied to samples that contain either or both leaves and stems. That is, that the hops were uncleanly, not properly picked. DISEASED— A choice hop must be absolutely sound. The slightest touch of disease of any kind prevents a hop being classed choice. Even to be classed prime, there cannot be more than the slightest trace of disease present. A medium hop can only contain very little mold; where mold abounds, the hop can- not be better than common and is rarely classed above poor. In seasons where disease is isolated, and the world's crop lairly abundant, then sound hops only are marketable, and thosp unfortunates in the infected districts can claim no standing for such of their crop that shows disease. It is worthless in a commercial sense, and no buyer takes the product unless bought on sample. See quality. DOUBLE BALE— The compression of two bales into one package. See repacking.*; DRIFTS— The different blocks or portions of a field of hops allotted to separate sets, companies, gang, division or section of pickers. DRYER— The man who dries the hops, supposed to be an adept at curing. DRYING— That portion of the curing process that takes place in the kilns. DULL— See dead. EARLY Id OPS— Early varieties, or early ripening hops. EDGE — The cut side of samples. Also those parts of a bale where any tv. o surfaces meet. Sometimes applied to the front of the bale; which is properly called the face. ENDS— I'hose parts of a bale making top or head surfaces. EXAMINATION— The examining of a lot of hops and the passing on samples, but this does not constitute inspection unless each bale is tried. See inspection; also good light. EXCELLENT BREWING HOPS— Prime hops. See quality; also prime. EXPERT— One versed in the quality and action of hops, together with the requirements and customs of the trade. EXPORT- Fit for export shipment. FACE- Surfnce of the sample; also the long, narrow surface of the bale. See facing: also edge. FACING— The method sometimes employed of cleaning leaves and stems from the face of samples. FAIR BREWING HOPS— Common hops. See quality; also common. FALSE PACKED— Layers of different color or maturity m one bale, or diffi^rent qualities of hops baled together. FANCY BREWING HOPS— Choice hops. See quality, also choice. FAT— The term applied to such hops, during curing, in which the cores have not perceptibly started to dry. See also rich. 274 THE HOP. FEATHERY— Fluffy, Berries on the vine that are not full or firm, and on which the petals spread. FIFLD BOSS— The overseer of the pickers. FIRST YEAR'S GROWTH— See first year's planting. FIRST YEAR'S PLANTING— Also called first year's growth. See young hops; also new. FLAKY— Lying in layers of full, whole berries. Perfect strobiles. FLAT— Lifeless and often scrubby, and at times cabbagy, FLAVOR— See good flavor. FLOORING— The quantity of hops put on a kiln at a single drying. Depths of floorings cannot be fixed. This depends upon the nature of the hops, capacity, or rather efficiency, of the kilns and the prevailing atmospheric conditions. The character of the hops and possible draft must govern quantity. FORCED DRYING— Dried too rapidly at a higher than nec- essary, but not scorching heat; causing loss of volatile oils and making the hops harsh. See harsh. FOREMEN— The j^ard bosses, paymasters and superintend- ents of the different work. These include in the eastern states the sacker, who empties the eight-bushel boxes of green hops each into a separate sack and gives pay checks. On the Pacific coast the box man who supervises the picking and gives pay tickets. The chief baler who is in charge of the presses. See also dryer, weigher, field boss, measurer and booker. FOXY — Reddish brown from over-maturity, disease or decay. GOING— Occasionally applied to hops that are heating. See heating. GOING OFF — Getting overripe, or beginning to show disease. See shattering. GONE— Applied to hops that have heated. See heating. GOOD BREWING HOPS— Medium hops. See quality, also medium. GOOD COLOR — A brilliant pale green, or a golden yellow. A light, bright, properly and evenly developed appearance. GOOD FLAVOR— The natural aroma emitted from a rich and mature, perfect, healthy hop berry at the time it is taken from the vine, after compression and rubbng between the fin- gers, ar\d which flavor should permeate the fresh cured hops. GOOD LIGHT— Hops must be examined by da- ""ht; arti- ficial light will not answer. A soft, clear, steel light. A veiled or slightly shaded (not shadowed") natural light, or what might be styled "an indirect sunlight" is best. The intense direct rays of the sun are too strong. See examination; also inspection. GOOD QUALITY— See quality. GRADE AND VALI'E— There are four mercantile divisions, ramelj^, choice, prime, medium (or good brewing) and com- mon to poor. Classification does not change, but supply and demand regulate relative values. GRADING— Classifying hops as to quality and standard. GRAIN— See cross-grained: also curly. GROSS WEIGHT- The entire weight of bales. See weights. GUIDES — See curing guides. GUMMY— Pesiroiig and not thoroughly cured. HARD PRESSED— Too heavily baled. It takes buoyancy, or sponginess. from a well-cured hop. Also called hard baled and heavy baled, and when over the maximum proper weight range of 205 pounds are called over-weights, or heavy weights, which latter term is also often applied to a lot of bales, the most of which run considerably over the ordinary average. See weights. HARSH— Wanting in oily matter. Generally flaky, and the berries stiff, or what could be called chippy. Usually the result of forced drving. HEAD— See top. APPEN"DIX. 275 HEATING AND HEATED— Spoiled from heating. Rotting or rotted; usually due to insufficient drying; also possible from becoming wet through absorption of a large quantity of mois- ture, from exposure, and sul>sequent sweating with consequent turninsT and rotting. A heated hop is worthless. HEATED BERRIES— Berries heated before being put on the kilns. HEAVY BALED— See hard pressed. HEAVY WEIGHTS— See hard pressed. HIGH-DRIED— A degree of curing between over-dried and over-fired, which causes the running of the lupulin and loss of oily matter and brewing strength. High-dried hops are of a chaffy nature. HIGH-FIRED— See over-firing. HOP CLOTH— The burlap covering for the bales. This should be 24-ounce cloth, and there must be not more than is neces- sary to properly cover the bales. HOPPERS— Hop pickers; those who pluck the hops from the vines. HOPPING — The occasional practice of putting a few whole berries in barrels of malt liquor. HOPPING OUT— The transitory stage from burr to cone, or formation of the true hop. HOP, SACKS — The sacks in which the hops are taken to the kilns. The size varies in different localities, but should not be made to hold over 80 pounds green hops, which would require a sack about 60 inches long by 40 inches wide. See pokes; also under "foremen." HOP STEMS— See core. HOP YARD— Hop garden, or field of hops. IMMATURE— Not sufficiently ripe; indicated by green appearance of berry, and pale color of hop seed which when fully ripe is dark purple. IN CASE— See casing. IN HOP — Fully contoured strobiles in first stages of develop- ment of hop. INSPECTION — The trying and examination of every bale, and the passing on each bale separately. See examination; also good light, and try; tryer samples. IN THE SWEAT— See casing-. KILN — The house in which the hops are dried. KILN BOSS — The man in charge of the curing. See dryer. KILN CARPET— See kiln cloth. KILN CLOTH— The covering of the kiln floor, usually 10- ounce burlap. Also called kiln carpet. LATE HOPS— I^sed in contradistinction to early hops, where a grower has several varieties (including some earlies), or differ- ent fields that mature at differently advanced stages of the harvest season. LEADY— See dead. LEAVES— The leaves of the hop vine. LIGHT— See thin; also good light. LIGHT-BALED— See loose pressed. LIGHT WEIGHTS— See loose pressed. LIVELY— See spongy. LOOSE BALED— See loose pressed. LOOSE PRESSED— Not tightly enough baled. Well-cured hops, put up this way. and hops that are aging, lose weight quickly. Also called loose baled and light baled, and, when ot less than proper minimum weight range of 170 pounds, are styled light weights, a term also applied to a lot of bales, a good many of which run under the customary average. See weights. LOT— A number of bales collectively. LLTPULIN— The bitter, buttery, globular secretion in the hops— their principal virtue. In its normal condition, in healthy, 276 THE HOP. properly handled, cured new hops, it has its natural brilliant lemon-yellow color and oily characteristics. MANAGEMENT— The treatment of the hops. Curing. MASHY— See chaffy. MATl^RE— The stage of development proper for picking. Not immature and not over-ripe. MEASTjRER— In English usage, the person who measures the green hops with a bushel basket into the pokes. See booker. MEATY— A fat, wholesome, b\it not delicate hop. MEDIUM HOP— A hop of good brewing quality, that may not be as even in color, or may not excel in distinct qualifica- tions as the better grades, but must be bright, fairly clean, safelj^ cured and well put up. See quality. MEIjIjOWNESS— Silkiness. See sulphuring; also casing. MERCHANTABLE— Sound and properly pur up. Refers to both contents and covering of package, or to tlie bale itself. MIX— A disadvisable habit some growers have of blending their growth in cooling room. MIXED L,OT— A lot containing bales of different qualities. MIXED COLOR— A mixture of early and late pickings, brought about by a deliberate and thorough mixing of the greener with the more mature hops. See uneven color; also off color. MIXED CTJRING— See uneven curing. MOTTLED— Mixed in color. Green, ripe, and over-ripe or wind-whipped berries baled together indiscriminately, usually the fault of uneven ripening. MOVE— Changing or tossing hops from one place in cooling room to another. MUDDY— Imperfectly developed unsightly hops full of dirt and sand. MUSTY— Foul odor. Fustiness. NET WEIGHT— The weight of the bales less tare allow- ance. See weights. NE^V — Hops of the latest crop in contradistinction to old hops. As it gets near to a harvest the term applies also to the growing crop. The spirit of its use and plausible intent govern the meaning. First year's growths are sometimes called new hops, to distinguish them from the product of roots that have produced before. See young hops. OASTS or OAST HOUSES— The English term for the drying houses. See kirns. OFF COLOR— Not bright; unsightly. Also used when the color is uneven from any cause. See dull. OILY or BUTTERY— Sometimes applied to hops that are fat and silkv. See silkv. also rich. OLD HOPS— All growths except the latest harvest. (See yearlings, also olds and old olds.") OLD OLDS— A general term for hops over two seasons old. (Bevond two vears removed from the latest harvest.) OLDS— Hops two seasons old. (Growth of the second year removed from latest harvest.) ORANGED— The lupnlin changed from its original yellow to a deeper or orange color, the effect of imperfect curing, or result of nsring. See luniilin. ORDINARY BREWING HOPS— Poor hops. See quality; also poor. OVER-DRYING— The drying of a hop for too long a period at a low heat. It lessens brew ng strength; that is, it lessens its intrinsic value. It makes a hop tender. Over-drying is less damaging in its effects than high-drying or over-firing. OVER-FIRING, as the word implies, means excess firing In curing process. It causes more or less evaporation of the volatile oils, causes crystallization of the lupulin and spoils the flavor. Its degree can only be determined by an -export (and this can be APPENDIX. 277 said of all faults). In its worst stages it Is called burnt or scorched; in the lesser degrees, over-fired or high-dried. General over-firing may mean practically entire loss of brewing quality. OVER-GRADING— Classing hops at too high a quality. Overrating standard. See grading. OVER-RIPE— Over-mature; shown by the hops turning red, and in advanced stages by fluffiness or lack of solidity in the berries on the vines. OVER WE:IGHTS— See hard pressed. PACKAGE— A bale. PACKERS— See pack hops. PACKET HOPS— Hops put up for domestic uses in tightly compressed quarter, half and one-pound paper packages. See pack hops. PACK HOPS OR PACKERS— Hops for packets for drug- gists' and grocers' trade. See packet hops. PARCEL— A collective number of bales. See lot. PETALS— The leafiets of the hop; that is, the carpels or bracts of the strobile. PICK— Privilege of taking any portions of a lot, subject to usual inspection conditions. PICKINGS OR BALINGS— When the several portions of a yard are picked in different stages of maturity, the hops are kept separate accordingly in early and late, or early, middle and late balings (or pickings), as is necessary. PLATTY— The development of a yard unevenly; that is, in blocks, or maturing irregularly, but evenly in separate plats. POCKETS— An English term for bales, or, rather, pressed bags of cured hops, of weights varying according to locality. POINTING OR TIPPING- The shriveling of the extreme ends of the point petals, and breaking off of these tips when the hops have reached their fullest development. This feature, with dark-purple color of the seed, indicates, under normal con- ditions, ideal maturity. POLEMAN— The person delegated to pull vine poles for pick- ers, or, in the trellis yard, to get down — by means of a hook and blade attachment to a long scantling — such portions of vine and hops as cling to trellis wires when the vines are pulled down for picking. POKES— The English term for their hop sacks, into each of which 10 bushels of green hops are put. POOR COLOR— See off color. POOR HOP— Any hop having some brewing virtue, but off in general appearance and conditions. It must be sufficiently sound to stand shipment, and although it may lack in color and strength, must be well baled. See quality. POWDERED — Pulverized. This occurs in baling hops that have been killed on the kilns by extreme high-drying or over-fir- ing. Hops become chaffy and powder as they age or disinte- grate, but favorable storage retards this. See chaffy. PRIME HOP — One having most of the characteristics of a choice, but lackng in some point that does not affect its other general conditions. For instance, a prime hop may be choice other than to be not qviite as good in flavor, or not fully rich in lupulin, or not quite although fairly cleanly picked, or the berry instead of being firm may be tender, or the color may not be quite even, though fairly uniform (not far off nor mixed), etc. That is, some slight and single defect, but otherwise equal to choice. A hop sample containing several blemishes as above cited would, as a rule, grade only medium. See quality. PRIMROSE — An expression rarely used, but sometimes applied to a color indicating early stages of over-ripeness. QUALITY — To secure good quality, diligent cultivation and attention in the yard, and clean picking, proper curing and baling are essential. See choice, or what could be called fancy brewing hops; prime, that might be termed excellent brewing 278 THE HOP. hops; medium, that are also called good brewing hops; common, or fair brewing hops; and poor, or ordinary brewing hops. Also see diseased, worthless, curing guides. RANK— An off colored hop with a strong, earthy, or green vegetable aroma. RE-BALED— Baled a second time. Necessary, of course, to re-dried hops. Also to hops that have been opened out for air- ing. Sometimes resorted to when the first baling was too heavy or too light, or the baling unmerchantable. Re-baling generally badly breaks the hop. See re-dried; also airing. RED— A name sometimes given to over-ripe hops. RE-DRIED— Dried a second time. Administered to hops that are found slack, or to hops that have become wet. A re-dr:ed hop cannot be a choice hop, and the operation generally results in very inferior quality. See re-baled. REEK — The vapor or steam arising from hops at the early stages of drying, called at times a sweat. See sweating, steam- ing and casing. RE-PACKING — The re-wrapping or replacing of the burlap on the bale, or the compression of several bales into one package, a method sometimes employed for exporting. RICH OR FAT— Thick in lupulin. See fat. ROASTED OR BURNT— Terms sometimes applied to badly scorched hops. ROUGH— Unevenly developed berries with bracts lacking In oil and not smooth. RITB— See the rub. RULES— See curing guides. RUSTED— Brown spots. A weather effect on delicate points and flaws of the growing hops. A blemish, but this is not meant as the disease known as rust. SACKER— See foremen. SACKS— See hop sacks. SAFE— SuflSciently dry in bale to stand either long (including export) shipment or compact piling and close storage. SAMPLES— A chunk (or, as it is called, a square sample) of hops, cut and drawn from side of bale, with knife and tongs. Advance samples, the type or shipping samples. Type samples, the standard for comparison of quality. Shipping samples, those sent to indicate style of hops shipped. Re-drawn samples, fresh or newly drawn samples, to show nature and con- dition. Samples should not be taken until the nops have set or become firm in bale, which takes several days after pressing. At inspection examination a square sample is usually taken from each 10th to 15th bale, depending upon size of lot, besides th*^ tryer samples from each bale. See tryer samples; also bulk SCORCHED— Burning, caused by over-firing, resulting in the crystallization of the lupulin and excessive loss of and injury to brewing quality and flavor. SCRUBBY— Tracking in roundness or fullness of berry, want- ing in solidity. Light, flat berries. SECOND SWEAT— See casing. SEEDLESS— Free or almost free of seed. SELECTION— The separate accepting or rejecting of each bale severally in a crop of hops. SELLING— See buying and selling. SHATTERING— The breaking apart of the berry. Falling off of the petals. Usual to hops that have gone off. Also through excessive drying-out in the bin after casing. See going off; also shelly. . ,. T^ X,- SHELLY— Brittle from drying out in cooling room. Rather shattered in baling. See casing; also shattering. SHIPPERS— The top quality demanded by foreign trade. SHOVE OFF— Act of removing the dried hops from the kiln floors. APPENDIX. 279 SICKLY— Cured hops showing an unhealthy or darkened, watery discoloration of the base of the petals and of the lup- ulin, caused through faulty handling. SIDE— The broadest and largest surface of a bale. The sam- ples are drawn from this portion. SILKY— Oily feeling in a hop. A point indicating proper development and good condition. SIZE— See baling. SKYLIGHTS— The windows through which the light is reflected on the boards. SLACK BINE— Shortage of lateral arms and foliage. SLACK-DRIED or SLACKNESS— See slack. SLACK OR UNDER-DRYING— A slack hop is one that is under-dried, not sufficiently dry. Hops in this condition heat or sour, depending on the degree of slackness and storage condi- tions. Heating, which virtually means rotting, may be occa- sioned by even a bunch as little as a handful of slack hops, and once started, usually affects the entire bale, and even commu- nicates to surrounding bales if closely stored. See heating or heated; also sour and cold. SLACKISH— Slightly slack. These hops usually sour. See SLACK-SCORCHED -Hops dried at too high a temperature and not dried through. Burning them without drying them, so that while they have a scorched flavor, they may still sour or heat in cooling bin or bale. Often the fault of too many hops being on the kiln for its capacity. See slack. SLEAZY— Thin in texture, wanting in vitality and brewing strength; flimsy. SMOKY— Smoky smell that the hops take when the kiln fur- nace or pipes are defective and allow smoke to escape through the hops. SMOTHERED — Inappropriate casing, resulting from inade- quate airing of hops in cooling room. Usually due to too heavy packing, causing loss of brilliancy and effecting early disintegra- tion or aging. SMUDGED— Incipient heating arrested. Berries indicating that they had started to heat and cooled off. SOET— Delicate to the eye and touch, and usually mild of flavor. Yielding to easv pressure. SOGGY— Very wet or slack. See slack. SOUND— Not slack; in a safe condition. SOURING — A hop generally sours or takes a seur flavor when not properly ventilated in cooling rooms (when too heavily piled), while going through case, and generally, if prop- erly dried, when baled too soon; that is. "nefore completely cured. A slackish hop in bale will sour if it does not heat. Con- dition of storage affects the extent of damage at times. See storage; also cold. SPINDLING— Thin, straggling, light-foliaged, unproductive or small bearing vines. SPONGY— Springy to the touch, full of life. A good point and essential to a first-class hop. Also called lively. SPOTTED--Berry showing uneven development of color. Petals of different color in same berry. SPRAYING— Squirting washes on the vines through spraying machines, to avert the appearance or stop the spread of vermin or disease. SPRAYING DAMAGE— Injury created by the spraying wash, caused generally by washes that are too powerful, or by apply- ing same at wrong stage. STEAMING— Emitting volumes of moisture. This occurs to the hops in the kiln at the earlier stages of drying. See the reek; also sweating. STEMS— The twigs from the lateral arms (consisting of the peduncle, petioles and pedicels), which should not be picked. 280 THE HOP. See core, or hop stem. STFWED OR COOKED— A condition due to inadequate over- head drafts in kilns, causing the moisture supercharged air or reek to fall back on the drying hops. STIR— Some growers stir instead of turning their hops by walking through or rather dragging their feet with a shuffling motion along the kiln floors through the batches of drying hops. STORAGE— Should be clean, dry and dark, away from mois- ture and foreign odors. Hops while in transit are in a poor con- dition of storage, due to the extreme and oppressive heat gener- ated in cars and vessels. STOUT— Rich in lupulin and of good flavor. STOWAGE — An English expression for cooling room. STRAWY— The cut edge of a sample of broken or scrubby hops that lack in oily matter, and have a straw-like appear- ance. STREAKY— See cabbagv. STRIPPING— The removing of the foliage (branches and leaves) from the lower portion of the main vine. STROBILE— See berry. STRONG— Full flavor. STTLPHURING — Burning sulphur at the kiln furnaces, so that the fumes pass through the drying hops. It has a three- fold effect; it opens the hops, thus helping to keep them loose, whicn assists the draft: it modifies or evens ttie color of the hops; and it has a preserving tendency by promoting mellowness. See casing. It should be employed at the proper stage, and that is from the time the hops on the kiln have become warm until thev have finished steaming. See bleaching. SUN SCALD— The weakening of the vine and injury to or curtailment of the crop, through protracted Intense heat during the developing period of growth, before the true hops have formed. ^ , . ^„^ SWEATING— Sometimes used in the sense of heatmg. Often for the reek. Also applied to casing, which is at times called the second sweat. SWEEPINGS- The refuse from floors swept mto the press, making such bales inferior. TARE— The customary allowance or deduction in weight for baling cloth. TENDER— Soft; delicate to the touch. THE RUB— The feeling and action of a hop between the fingers or hands in examination. THICKNESS— An English term employed in passing on the quantity of lupulin; richness. THIN— Lacking in lupulin; wanting in brewing strength. Also called light, or weak. .-,.,. TINTED— Touched with a faint pinkish color, indicating the turning point to over-maturing. This feature is desirable. An indistinct blush, not too pronounced, or it would mean over- ripeness. TIPPING— See pointing. TONGS— A tool for taking square samples from a bale. TOP CROP— The growth of hops running principally to the extreme end (top> of the vines, due to less than ordinary branching or arm.ing, and indicating a lighter than normal yield. TOP OR HEAD— The smallest surface of a bale. TOUGH— A tenacious condition that the cores of the hops are in at a certain stage of curing. A number of tough stems in baled hops are an indication of slackness. TOUGH STEMS— Tenacious "hop stems;" strigs that are not brittle; incompletely cured cores. TRAMPING— The light compression of the hops in the presses, to permit more hops being added for proper weight of bale before actual power is applied through the follower attachment of the press. APPENDIX. 281 TRY — The probing with tryer. The examination of each bale singly. See examination, also inspection, and good light. TRYER— A harpoon-shaped instrument used in inspecting each bale, and which brings out a handful of hops. See try. TRYER SAMPLES OR TRYING S— The handful of hops taken from the center and sometimes from several parts of each bale, with the tryer, by the inspector. See sample, also good light, and inspection TRYINGS— See tryer samples. TURN OR TURNING— Some growers upset or turn their hops on the kiln floor after several hours' drying. A hop is said to be turning when aging. Also said of hops that are heating or heated. See soviring. UNDER-DRYING— See slack. UNDER-GRADING— Underrating quality. Classifying below proper standard. See grading. UNEVEN COLOR— Not a uniform color; a mixture of differ- ently colored but fairly developed berries. See mixed color; also off color. UNEVEN CURING AND MIXED CURING— Uneven drying of hops, caused by too heavy floorings; that is, too great a depth of hops on kilns, or through faulty kiln construction and improper drafts, so that in order to dry part of the hops properly those in another section of the k In are either over or under- dried. In such cases it is uneven curing. Where the kilns work properly and growers dry some floorings to different degrees than others and mix them in bin and bale it is mixed curing. ITNSAFE— See unsound UNSOUND OR UNSAFE— Not sound; slack or slackish. USEFLTL— Not particularly fine, nor sightly, but of good brewing quality. VALUE — See grade and value. VARIEGATED— Mixed in color; checkered. See mottled. VERMIN DAMAGE— Injury to the growing crop, caused by pests and the resulting damage of which is apparent in the hop. WEAK— See thin. WEIGHER— The yard boss, who has charge of pickers, weighs the hops and gives credit, or pay-checks, for them. WEIGHTS— Bales should weigh from 170 to 205 pounds gross weight and should average not less than IFO pounds net weight. Unless otherwise stated all transactions imply net weight. See loose pressed, hard pressed, bales, baling. WIND-WHIPPED— The tips and outer leaves of berries bruised, withered and discolored, caused by wind shaking and hitting. ; WOODY — Abounding in vegetable fiber and harsh. WORTHLESS — Hops that cannot even be classed poor; that is, those that are spoiled through bad handling or disease. There is always a lot of this valueless trash. See qual'ty. YARD BOSSES— Those in charge of the picking. See foremen. YEARLINGS— Hops of the next to the latest harvest. (On the Pacific coast young hops are sometimes erroneously called yearlings.) YOUNG HOPS— Hops of first year's planting; i. e. .from vines of the first growth after the sets or cuttings have been planted for a crop; infrequently called baby hops. See new. RULES REGULATING THE HOP TRADE AMONG MEMBERS OF THE KEW YORK PRODUCE EXCHANGE. [Adopted March 1, 1S83, and amended September 27, 1889.] Rule 1.— At the first meeting of the Board of Managers, after their election, the president shall (subject to the approval of the Board) appoint as a committee on hops, five members of the New York Produce Exchange, who are known to be deal- ing in hops, to consist of two brewers and three dealers. It shall be the duty of this committee to properly discharge the obligations imposed upon them by these rules, and also to con- sider and decide all disputes arising between members dealing in, consuming, or exporting hops, which may be submitted to them. A majority of the committee shall constitute a quorum, but the committee shall fill temporary vacancies, if requested by either party, by some member or members representing the same interest as the absent member or members, and a decision of a majority of those present at any meeting shall be final. They shall keep a record of their proceedings, and a fee of fifteen dollars ($15) shall bo paid to the committee for each reference case heard by them— to be paid by the party adjudged to be in fault, unless otherwise ordered by the committee; pro- vided, however, that nothing herein shall prevent a settlement of questions of difference by private arbitration, or as provided in the by-laws. Rule 2.— All transactions In American hops only between members of the Produce Exchange shall be governed by the following rules, but nothing herein shall be construed as inter- fering in any way with the right cf members to make such special contracts or conditions as they may desire. Rule 3.— All hops shall he deliverable In merchantable bales. When a certain number of pounds are sold, number of bales not specified net weight shall be understood. Rule 4.— When specific lots are sold by sample, or other- wise, and are ready for immediate delivery, any bale weighing not less than 170 poimds, nor more than 205 pounds, shall be considered a good delivery. Rule 5.— When hops are sold for future delivery, and the weights of the bales have not been ascertained at the time of sale, a good delivery shall be a sufRcient number of bales to effect a delivery of the number of bales sold, at an average of not less than 180 pounds, nor more than 190 pounds, gross w'eight. Rule 6.— On all New York state hops, an allowance of five pounds per bale shall be made as tare, in conformity with Chapter 239, laws of 1889. Rule 7 — In the absence of any specific agreement, the seller shall have the right to demand payment at the time of passing the title. Rule S.— Whenever sales are made -uetween memhers or the Produce Exchange through a broker who is not a member of the exchange, a written memorandum of the transaction is to be exchanged bv the principals before the sale is binding. 282 RULES. 283 Rule 9.— Hops sold for immediate delivery must be inspected on the day succeeding' the sale. Hops sold for future delivery must be inspected on the day succeeding the notice of delivery. Rule 10. — If upon inspection it shall be found that any lot, or part of a lot, of hops shall not conform with the contract, the buyer shall take all which do conform to the contract, ana the seller shall replace the lot, or part of a lot, rejected with other hops of as good a quality, and for this purpose the seller shall have 10 days to replace and tender hops to fill the original contract; but if a specific lot is sold by sample the buyer shall take all which are up to sample, and he shall have the privilege of taking the rejections at a reduction to be agreed upon be- tween seller and buyer, or to be settled by arbitration. Rule 11. — Hops shall be weighed (unless otherwise agreed upon) by a city weigher, whose return shall be taken as the correct weights of the bales. Weigher's fees to be divided by buyer and seller equally. Rule 12.— All hops shall be removed at the buyer's expense within two days after receiving the invoice (weather permit- ting), and until then the seller is to hold the same fully cov- ered by insurance at invoice value. Rule 13. — When hops are sold to arrive and to be inspected on dock, the buyer shall, after inspection and order for de- livery being given, assume the same relation toward the trans- portation line by which the hops arrived, as the seller previ- ously held as regards their removal from the place of delivery within the time granted by such lines for that purpose. Rule 14.— Rules 3, 4, 5 and 6 shall apply only to the crop of 1S83 and subsequent crops. Rule 15. — A carload of hops shall be understood to contafn not less than 10,000, or more than 13,000 pounds. BIBLIOGRAPHY. The Curiosities of Ale and Beer, John Bickerdyke; London, 1889. Twenty-five Years of Brewing and History of Ameri- can Beer, George Ehret; New York, 1891. The London and Country Brewer, printed for T. Ast- ley; London, 1758-59. Hops and Hopping, John B. Marsh; London, 1892. Root Glowing and the Cultivation of Hops, Arthur Roland, edited by William H. Ablett; London, 1887. Hops, their Cultivation, Commerce and Uses in Various Countries; a manual of reference for the grower, dealer and brewer, P. L. Simmonds; London, 1877. Hop Culture in the United States, being a practical treatise on hop growing in Washington territory, from the cutting to the bale, E. Meeker; Puyallup, Wash., 1883. Diseases of Plants Induced by Cryptogamic Parasites, Tubeuf and Smith; London, 1897. Diseases of Plants, H. Marshall Ward (contains a de- tailed popular description of mildew) ; New York, 1890. Insects and Fungous Enemies of the Hop Vine, Charles Whitehead; Journal of the Royal Society of England series 3, 1893, pp. 240-247. Methods of Preventing and Checking Attacks of Insects and Fungi, Charles Whitehead; London, 1891. Annual Report of the Board of Agriculture, Charles Whitehead; London, 1890, p. 24. Hop Cultivation, Charles Whitehead; London. 1893. Handbook for Hop Growers, a guide to the practical cul- ture of hops (German), E. D. Strebel; Stuttgart, Ger- many, 1887. Hop Cultivation (German), C. Beckenhaupt; Weissen- burg, Germany, 1890. A beautiful set of photographic plates, each 36 by 23 ctms., was prepared in Germany by Dr. M. Braungart, and published in 1881-2. Not less than 429 "varieties" of hops are illustrated in the 37 plates. The hops are shown in life- size and from all parts of the world. The old edition is out of print, but copies are in many libraries in Europe. A new edition is expected in 1901 that ought to be in every agricultural college and other important libraries in America. Hop Culture, practical details as given by ten experi- enced cultivators residing in the hop-growing sections in the United States, collected by Orange Judd Company, edited by A. S. Fuller; New York, 1883. 284 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. A section of hop pickers starting their work. Frontispiece Fig-. Page. 1. Three-hundred acre hop field nearly ready to pick . . 10 2. Commencement of pole stack 12 3. New York hop yard 14 4. Hop harvest in New York state IV 5. Southern Oregon hop yard, ready to pick ... 20 6. Hop yard two miles long at Horstville, Cal. . . . 24 7. Branch of male hop vine 26 S. Female vine, showing flowers 27 9. Branch of female hops 28 10. Grains of lupulin 29 11. Female cluster newly set .30 12. Single female flower 30 13. Cross-sectional longitudinal view of female hop . . 31 14. Various shapes of hops 33 15. Kentish hops 34 16. Kentish cluster hops . 37 17. Fuggles, Kent .40 18. Bates's brewers, Kent 43 19. Rear view of 12 kilns, Pleasanton, Cal .... 46 20. Climbing tendril of hop vine 48 21. Largest hop kiln in the world under one cover . . 53 22. Hop harvest in Madison Co., N. Y 55 23. Partly picked hop yard, Cal 57 24. Hop fields near Cooperstown, N. Y GO 25. Tank for dipping hop poles to prevent rot ... 62 26. Hop pickers in Washington 66 27. Picking hops in Kent, Eng 68 28. Picking hops 70 29. Irrigating hops 75 30. Yard on the short pole system 78 31. Trainins hons in Kent 81 32. Horizontal hop yard, N. Y 82 33. Otsego grub hoe . 84 34. Twine pole 85 35. Kentish wire trellis 86 36. Kentish hop vards 87 37. Hop root stock . 88 38. Hop vine stock for transplanting 90 39. Hop stock 91 40. Tools for making holes for setting poles .... 92 41. Forms of hop knives 94 42. Plants untrimmed and trimmed 95 43. Yard pegged out for planting 96 44. American grub hooks ...» 98 45. Foreign hop tools 100 46. Tying knot 101 47. Hop garden in Kent 102 48. Picking hops grown on strings and trellis, Cal. , . 104 49. Orchard cultivator 106 50. Pleasanton trellis, side and end views .... 107 51. Starting out to "string" a wire trellis .... 108 52. Trellis system used at Pleasanton 110 53. One-horse shovel plow Ill 54. Indian hop pickers at dinner, Cal 112 55. Spraying outfit, British Columbia hop yard . . . 114 285 2^6 THE HOP. Fig. Page. 56. Hop plant louse, true female 116 57. " " " stem mother 116 58. " " " first immigrant 118 59. '■' " " male 120 60. Hop plant louse and eggs 121 61. Aphidine parasite of hop plant louse i23 62. Cynipid parasite of hop plant louse 125 68. Hop grub 127 64. Hop vine snout moth 131 65. Interrogation butterfly 132 66. Comma butterfly 133 67. Zebra b^Jtterfly 134 68. Woolly bear caterpillar ... .... 135 69. Saddleback caterpillar 136 70. Hop vine leaf hopper 137 71. Striped fiea-beetle 139 72. "Red spider" or spinning mite 140 73. Needle-nosed hop bug 143 74. "Scars" on hop vine 144 75. An eelworm disease of hops 145 76. Threads of hyphae of hop mold 147 77. Ascocarps of "hop mold" 148 78. Single ascocarp 150 79. Growing pineapples or tobacco under sheds in Florida 156 80. Step-ladder 158 81. Scene in Kentish hop yard 160 82. Indian pickers' lodges, Cal 161 83. Hop bin frame, N. Y 163 84. Picking bin, N. Y. . . . 164 85. Hop picking check 166 86. Pickers' weight memorandum 167 87. "Set" for four pickers 168 88. Weighing hops . 169 89. Elevating hops to kiln 171 90. Tent training 173 91. Improved English oast 174 92. Section of group of kilns and cooling room ... 176 93. Ground floor of kilns and cooling room .... 176 94. Elevation of the common hop kiln 178 95. Ground plan of hop kiln , . 179 96. Second floor of hop kiln 179 97. Draft hop kiln 180 98. Section of cowl to draft kiln 182 99. Ground plan of kiln . - 183 100. Plan of drying floor 184 101. Improved France kiln 186 102. Details of kiln construction 187 103. Support for hot-air pipe 189 104. Stove for kiln, front view 190 105. Hop baling press 192 106. Elevation of hop house, N. Y 193 107. Ground plan of hop house 194 108. Section of hop house , 195 109. Shovel and brush for use in kiln 197 110. Elevation of double kiln, N. Y. . , • . . . 198 111. Ground plan of double kiln 199 J12. Car at kiln to receive hops 200 113, Harris hop press .201 114, Press with front removed 202 115, Pleasanton hop kiln, front elevation 203 116, Side elevation of kilns 204 117, Detail of hopper . , o 205 118, Arrangement of heating pipes and drums .... 206 119, Pleasanton kilns and coolers 208 120, Ground plan of Pleasanton establishment , .210 121, Cooling house for hops 212 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 287 Pig. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 1.34. J 35. 136. 137. Cooler— end elevation .... Circular kiln. Montgomery Co., N. Y. Improved kilns and warehouse of iron A glimpse of Kentish oast houses Loading bags of hops for the kiln Interior of hop kiln P.ohemian hops from imported roots . Washington hop kilns in King Co., near Auburn Hop kilns, Pleasanton . . . . . Bavarian hops grown at Horstville, from imported roots 2.38 Scene in English oast nouse .... Trainload of hops leaving Horstville, Cal. Picking .golden clusters . . ... East Kent Goldings ...... Picked yard at left, unpicked at right Homemade hop oress Page. 213 215 216 218 221 223 226 231 236 241 242 244 246 248 255 288 ADVERTISEMENTS. Louis A. Horst E. Clemens Horst HORST BROTHERS, Growers and Dealers CHOIOEI HOPS AND BARLEY. Hop Ranches at HuKSTViLLE, Bear River, California. Ukiah, Russian River, California. Salem, Willamette River, Oregon. EoLA, Willamette River, Oregon. Agassiz, Fraser River, British Columbia. Main Offices : ^S^.'^ 24 Southwark St., S. E., London, England. Horsum. 122 Battery St., San Francisco, California. IIokst. 212 Commercial St., Salem, Oregon. " 20 State St., New York, N. Y. 172 Washington St., Chicago, 111. « Codes Used: "A. B. C." "A. I." " MEYERS." "ATLANTIC." INDEX Acrea uses of aside from beer 19 weight of bale 264 yield per acre 249 Horst Brothers, contracts 243 experiments by ... . 245 tireproof kilns 247 hydraulic compress 247 irrigation 245 methods of 243 294: ADVERTTSEMElsTS. I THE SPRAMOTOR PATENTED SPRAYING, PAINTING AND WHITEWASHING MACHINE Sii Hi iMiE^ «sr»i«.A.ivioaroi« v\ m Has been awarded Jn over 1 00 gold medals S and FIRST AWARDS S and was placed % FIRST at the Govern- S ment Spraying Con. ?! test, as a F r u i t S of w wi iff* m Spraying Appara tus. A contest this character, under judges ap- pointed by a British S „ Government, being IS ijt, both practical and thorough, has done very i^ m much in the interests of the users of Spraying m ^ Appliances, by preventing them buying poor, *?!> Si! cheap and hard working apparatus, which has 'n ^ done more to discourage the practice of spray- ^> iH ing than all other causes combined. m SPRAMOTOR CO., m m m Of m jj Mention this publication. LONDON, ONTARIO, CANADA. Jg ^■, ^^^^^a:$^^;^^^;S^^^3aa^f9949=99^^ ADVERTISEMENTS. 295 I A FULL RANGE OF SIZES, | t DESIGNED FOR t J Painting all kinds of buildings with oil paints, if(\ ^ - «ii «b Spraying all kinds of fruit trees and crops, 2J ilji »p * Spraying with mechanical mixtures, J uf — jL iJ Whitewashing a nd disinfection , m Of 2J tiif ' ^ I THE SPRAMOTOR I ^ i Ui Was adopted by the Canadian, Russian, Bel- '♦> !t gian and Australasian Governments. 5,000 iii 0^ in use in three years. Prices range m I from $5.00 to $50.00. | * A 75 page Copyrighted Treatise and Cata- JJ jj' logue is free for asking, giving full particulars Jjl jjj of the machine, as well as the diseases affect- JJ jjj ing fruit trees, vegetables, etc., and their JJ "* remedies. |J S v^ S : 2 Of Agents wanted throughout the world. i» ilr Patented and guaranteed. ff Oi Cable address, Spramotor, London. m yi Directory code used. (f Or Address, jj I SPRAflOTOR CO., I t Mention this publication. LONDON, ONTARIO, CANADA. 2j '* jJJ 29G ADVERTISEMENTS. ROBT. LIVES LEY, MGR. (OMPANY, 5£A TTLEM5H. .*■' ^- t:S-:Si &^:Si &^:&i ^:^:fe &^;& €i^:& ir- ^i:.%r &$■:$■• &$■:«: &S-:S- t^.S ^'at. ^.« ( \b Oil Hop News Every Week Tlie most Complete Summary of the world-wide Situation ill Hops, by experienced and practical writers, Lioeal Heports from all Sections, Sffifisfics of the Ct'oj) 3loreinent, Kstiniates of Acreage and Yield; Also .1 fund of information in varioiis other departments, logetlier witli household p;i^es for all the family : These are suuie of tlie features of American Agriculturist (weemy)^ -AND Orange Judd Farmer (Western Edition of American Agriculturist). One Dollar a Year. Specimen Copy Free. ORANGE JUDD COMPANY, CHICAGO, NEW YORK, riarquette Building 52 Lafayette Place. "^^ 33^ ^^^ ^a^ ^>33 ^^^ ^ ^^a ^*a ^^^ ^^« ^^a 5^^ ;?i^ m m m m m m m m m m m m m INDEX. 297 Page. Horstville ranch, freedom from vermin 245 Industry, artificial conditions affecting 15 natural conditions affecting ....... 13 Insects, affecting' hops '. . . . 113 caterpillars 130, 136 cynipidae 122 flea-beetles 139 hop grub 128 hop merchants 131 hop plant louse 115 hop-vine snout moth 130 lace-winged flies 121 lady-bird beetles 121, 146 leaf hoppers 137 needle-nosed hop-bug 143 red spider 139 saddle-back caterpillar 135 syrphus flies 121 woolly bear caterpillar 134 zebra caterpillar ... 133 Irrigation 69 Kent, introduction into 1 Kerosene emulsion 124 Kiln, cohstruction of . . . 178, 187, 194, 195, 203, 204, 205, 206 cowl for 181 Kilns, drying stove for 188 fireproof 247 in N. Y. state 179 on Pacific coast 185 Liupulin 51, 58 composition of 52 extracting the - . 239 Machine, hop-picking 173 Markers 80 Maturity, dates of 44 Mold washes 154 New York, rules regulating hop trade in 282 New York state, cost of hops in 251 condition of soil 64 first yard in 4 growth of industry in 6 largest yard 8 Oast houses, English 177 Oregon, cost of growing hops in 256 hop lands in 64 hidustry in 9 Packing, foreign method of 199 Pickers' checks 166, 167 handling 171 prices paid 163, 168 rules for 165 Picking, care in 163 methods 172 preliminary work 159 time of 161 Plant, "dressing" of 95 food removed from soil .' . . 71 fenfiale 25 food removed by 71 growth of 69 male 25 sex in 23 Planting, best time for 93 methods of 91 298 IKDEX. Page. Pleasanton Hop Company, clearing 105 clearing wires Ill covering 106 cross-plowing 106 cultivation ... 106 grubbing ' 105 hilling up Ill kilns 185 plowing 105 pruning 105 resetting 106 setting out yard 112 stringing 109 training 109 trellis 106 tuckering Ill Plows, use of . . 101 Poles, after harvest 173 number to hill 81, 82 setting 83 Press 183 homemade 255 Prices, at New York 263 average monthly at New York. 1874-'96 261 fluctuations at New York, 1874-"98 262 fluctuations of 18 uncertainty of 233 Properties, bittering principles 56 narcotics 52 resin 58 tannic acid 56 Quality, descriptive terms 220 means of testing 219 Receipts at New York, 1890-'97 261 Resin wash 124 Root, for transplanting 90 Roots 25 Russia, hop area in 4 Sample, perfect 227 selling by 228 Sampling 225 Scorching, by sun 157 Seeds, in Germany 52 Selling, best time for 232 Shed 158 Shovel for kiln 198 Soil, best for hops 62 preparatory working of . . . 68 subsoiling 67 under draining 67 well drained . . . , 67 Specvilating in hops 233 Spraying, after frost 155 for caterpillars 130 for hop louse 122 formula .... 124, 126, 130, 142 in Oregon 142 in Washington , 141 outfit 126 Storage, cold 237 Store room 237 Storing, loss of properties in 239 protection from atmosphere 237 Strobile 29 Sulphur, for hop mold 153 INDEX. 299 Sulphuring, methods of reasons for . Taxation of hops and beer Terms used in hop trade Tobacco, for hop yards Tools, grub liooks Training Tryer Twining Tying vines United States, acreage and census of crop, 1S50-'90 crops compared . foreign trade, 1890-'96 ranlv of hop sections in Varieties, Canada Red . European ... in California in England ... in New York in Oregon Vines, climbing nature of disposing of old motion of . . . Washington, cost of growing culture in . methods of culture in Wind, effect on plants . Wind lews .... Wiring in England . Wisconsin, culture in . World's acreage acreage. 1890-'?7 . hop crops, 1890-'97 protection and consumption supply .... Yard, distance of plants hills per acre laying out . location of . . . values ops 1884-'92 Page. 213 214 16 269-281 144 95 83 229 83 102 265 265 266 266 265 41 44 42 38 40 43 28 173 27 258 9 97 157 157 85 8 2 265 264 267 11 79 79 80 65 SENX FREE ON A-HIPLICA-TION DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF- RURAL BOOKS, CONTAINING 116 8vo. PAGES, PROFUSKLY Illustrated, and giving Full Descriptions 09 Nearly 600 Works on the Following Subjects: Farm and Garden, . Fruits, Flowers, Etc. Cattle, Sheep, and Swine, Dogs, Horses, Riding, Etc., Poultry, Pigeons, and Bees, Angling and Fishing, Boating, Canoeing, and Sailing, Field Sports and Natural History, Hunting, Shooting, Etc., Architecture aiid Building, Landscape Gardening, Household and Miscellaneous PUBLISHERS AND IMPORTERS: ORANGE JUDD COflPANY, 52 & 54 Lafayette Place, New York. liookir wiU ^e Forwarded, postoaid. on recelot of Prlc& Wusnrooms : How to Grow Them^ Any one who has an ordinary house cellar, woodshed or bam, can grow Musiirooms. This is the most practical work on the subject ever written, and the only book on growing Mushrooms published in America. The author describes how he grows Mushrooms, and how they are grown for profit by the leading market gardeners, and for home use by the most successful private growers. Engravings drawn from nature expressly for this work. By "Win. Falconer. Cloth. Price, postpaid. 1.5v Land Draining:. A Handbook for Farmers on the Principles and Practice of Drain ing, by Manly Miles, giving the results of his extended experience in laying tile drains. The directions for the laying out and the construction of tile drains will enable the farmer to avoid the errors of imperfect construction, and the disappointment that must necessarily follow. This manual for practical farmers will also be found convenient for references in regard to many ques- tions that may arise in crop growing, aside from the special sub- jects of drainage of which it treats. Cloth, 12mo. 1.00 Allen's New American Farm Book. The very best work on the subject; comprising all that can be con- densed into an available volume. Originally by Richard L. Allen. Revised and greatly enlarged by Lewis F. Allen. Cloth, 12mo. 2.fK) Henderson's Gardening: for Profit. By Peter Henderson. The standard work on Market and Family Gardening. The successful experience of the author for more than thirty years, and his willingness to tell, as he does in this work, the secret of his success for the benefit of others, enables him to give most valuable information. The book is profusely illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. 2M Henderson's Gardening: for Pleasure. A guide to the amateur in the fruit, vegetable and flower garden with full descriptions for the greenhouse, conservatory and window garden. It meets the wants of all classes in country, city and vil- lage who keep a garden for their own enjoyment rather than foi the sale of products. By Peter Henderson. Finely Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. 2.0{ Johnson's How Crops Grow. New Edition. A Treatise on the Chemical Composition, Structure and Life of the Plant. Revised Edition. This book is a guide to the knowledge of agricultural plants, their composition, their structure and modes of development and growth ; of the complex organizations of plants, and the use of the parts; the germination of seeds, and the food of plants obtained both from the air and the soil. The book is a valuable one to all real students of agricul ture. With numerous illustrations and tables of analysis. By E*rot. Samuel W. Johnson Qt X&lQ College. Cloth. I2mc> 2.00 STANDARD iJUOKS, Johnson's How Crops Feed. A Treatise on th^ Atmosphere and the Soil, as reiated In the Nutrition of Agricu'tuial Plants. This volume— the companion and complement to "How Crops Grow" — has been welcomed by those who appreciate the ?c-entiflc aspects of agriculture. Illustrated. By Prof. Samuel W. Johnson. Cloth, 12mo. 2.00 Market Gardening: and Farm Notes. By Barnet Landreth. S:^i^eriences and Observations for both North and South, of interest to the Amateur Gardener, Trucker and Farmer. A novel feature of the book is the calendar of farm and garden operations for each n^enth of tlie year; the chapters on fertilizers, transplanting, suect^saion and rotation of crops, tlie packing, sliipping and marketing" of vegetables, will be especially useful to market gardeners. Ck>*h, 12mo. 1.00 Forest Planting:. A Treatise on the Care of Woodirrds and the ilestoration of the Denuded Timber-Lands on Plains and Mountains. By H. Nicholas Jarchow, LL. D. The author lias fi'I'j'^ described those European methods which have proved to be mc'ft useful in maintaining the superb forests of tlie old world. This 'experience has been adaptec to the different climates and trees of Ar»,erica, full instructions bt- ing given for forest planting on our varioi's kinds of soil and suHy soil, whether on mountain or valley. ILvs^rated, 12nao> 1.50 Harris* Talks on Manures. By Joseph Harris, M. 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By Henry Stewart, author of "The Shepherd's Manual," "Irriga- tion," etc. A useful and practical work, by a writer who is well known as thoroughly familiar with the subject of which he writes. Cloth, 12mo. 2.00 Allen's American Cattle. Their History, Breeding and Management. By Lewis F. Allen. Tliis book will be considered indispensable by every breeder of live stock. The large experience of the author in improving the character of American lierds adds to the weight of his observations and has enabled him to produce a work which will at once make good his claims as a standard authority on the subject. New and revised edition. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. 2.50 Profits in Poultry. ^ * Useful and ornamental Breeds and their Profitable Management. This excellent work contains the combined experience of a num- ber of practical men in all departments of poultry raising. It is pi"ofusely illustrated and forms a unique and important addition to our poultry literature. Cloth, 12mo. 1.00 riie American Standard of Perfection. The recognized standard work on Poultry in this country, adopted by the American Poultry Association. It contains a complete de- scription of all the recognized varieties of fowls, including turkeys, ducks and geese ; gives instructions to judges ; glossary of technical terms and nomenclature. It contains 244 pages, handsomely bound in cloth, embellished with title in goW on front cover. $1.00 Stoddard's An Bgg Paim, By H. H. Stoddard. The management of poultry in large numbers, being a series of articles written for the AMERICAN AGRICULTUR 1ST. mustrated Cloth. l2mo. fif STAl'DARD BOOKS. Stewart's Shepherd's Manual. A Valuable Practical Treatise on the Sheep for American fanners and sheep growers. It is so plain that a .farmer or a farmer's son wlio has never kept a sheep, may learn from its pages how to manage a flock successfully, and yet so complete that even the ex- perienced shepherd may gather many suggestions from it. The results of pei'sonal experience of some years with the characters of the vai'ious modern breeds of sheep, and the sheep raising capa- bilities of many i)ortions of our extensive territory and that of Canada — and the careful study oF the diseases to which our sheep are chiefly subject, with those by which they may eventually be afflicted through nnforseen accidents — as well as the methods of management called for under our circumstances, are carefully described. By Henry Stewart. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 Wri§:ht's Practical Poultry-Keeper. By L. Wright. A complete and standard guide to the management of poultry, for domestic use, tlie markets or exhibition. It suits at once the plain poulterer, who must make the business pay, and the chicken fancier whose taste is for gay plumage and strange, bright birds. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. $2.00 Harris on the Pi§:. New Edition. Revised and enlarged by the author. The points of the various English and American breeds are thoroughly discussed, and the great advantage of using thoroughbred males clearlj shown. The work is equally valuable to the farmer who keeps but few pigs, and to the breeder on an extensive scale. By Joseph Harris. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 The Farmer's Veterinary Adviser. A guide to the Prevention and Treatment of Disease in Domestic Animals. Tliis is one of the best works on this subject, and is es- pecially designed to supply the need of the busy American Farm er, wlio can rarely avail himself of the advice of a Scientific Veter inarian. It is brought up to date and treats of the Prevention ol Disease as well as of the Remedies. By Prof. Jas. Law. Cloth. Crown, 8vo. 3.00 Dadd's American Cattle Doctor. By George H. Dadd, M. D., Veterinary Practitioner. To help every man to be his own cattle-doctor; giving tlie necessary information for preserving the health and curing the diseases of oxen, cow.s^ sheep and swine, with a great variety of original recipes, and val uable information on farm and dairy management. Cloth, 12mo. 1.5C Cattle Breeding:. By Wm. Warfield. This work is by common consent the most valuable and pre-eminently practical treatise on cattle-breeding ever published in America, being the actual experience and ol> servance of a practical man. Cloth, 12mo. 8.00 BD 19 5. ^^<^ ^W«- ^ * 9 s ^ ^Q O^ * 8 1 \ ■* o ^ » * ^ ^^ ° ' ^f x.o°<. C' -cP ,<} "C^, '^^'^^^^.V* '^ ■% "'^, >'^^ .\0 rj DOBBS BROS. ^ o . v ■* A ^D '^ . ^ LIBRARY BINDING -' " ^ \ 0^0.'/-' xO ^ •/ ., X -^^ • C3 0^ .^ .^^ %^, . V ^^>^ ^^^ Q. 9. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS DDDmBEb^DA