Appendix. 229 



The cultivation has spread from New York, first to Wisconsin, and 

 then to the three Pacific States, but on account of low prices, pests 

 and natural decrease in yield, Wisconsin has abandoned hop culture, 

 and New York, which in 1904 grew 200,000 bales, now produces about 

 60,000. The Pacific States have taken the place of these Eastern 

 States, so that now we grow five-sixths of all the hops grown in 

 America. 



A description of the methods of planting, cultivating, curing, etc., 

 would take too much time, so I shall only allude briefly to these points, 

 and discuss those subjects that appear to offer the best chance for im- 

 provement of conditions now existing. 



Hops may be roughly divided into three varieties, Green, Red, and 

 Yellow, represented here by the Early Fuggle, Canada Red, and English 

 Cluster. The Fuggle is an early variety, being ready to harvest about 

 two weeks before the other kinds. The demand for this variety is, how- 

 ever, rather limited, and our production does not exceed 2,000 bales. 

 The Canada Red is a rather rough looking, but fine flavored hop. It is 

 not a heavy yielder and is a few days later than the Cluster; for this 

 reason but few are grown here, and these chiefly mixed with another 

 A^ariety to impart flavor. The Cluster is our hop of commerce. It is a 

 heavy yielder, going some 1,500 pounds per acre on good soil and 

 cultivation. 



The production of hops in America in 1905 was about 300,000 bales of 

 approximately 200 pounds each. Of this quantity our domestic brew- 

 €i"ies used about 225,000 bales in the manufacture of 55,000,000 barrels 

 of beer; almost a barrel for each of us. England takes our annual 

 surplus, and we are building up a considerable export trade to China, 

 Japan, and Australia. 



There is perhaps no product of the soil in which there is so wide a 

 range of prices, due doubtless to the fact that there is but the one use 

 for hops, and therefore a year of large yield above the consumption 

 shows prices below cost of production, while a year of scarcity jumps 

 the price to $450 per acre of average production. 



The life of a hop yard is indefinite, but it is enough to say that there 

 are yards in England over one hundred years old. With us it is neces- 

 sary each year to replant scattering missing hills, which have become 

 diseased or torn out by the plow. 



The practice here is to plant our vines in an eight-foot square, with 

 the rows running north and south, so the sun can strike all parts of 

 the vine. We train from two to four vines per hill, spreading the 

 vines when they reach the wires, nine feet above the ground. My 

 opinion is that a yield would be greatly increased by planting four by 

 eight feet and two vines per hill. 



Until about the year 1900 hop pests were unknown on the Coast, but, 

 like the fruit pests, they found their way here and have been the source 

 of enormous loss and great additional expense in the production of a 

 crop. Practically the only pest which we have to combat is the hop 



