230 Appendix. 



louse, which are said to hybernate on the plum trees and migrate to the 

 hops in May or June. The only effective remedy so far discovered is a 

 spray of quassia and soap, but this must be very thoroughly done. This 

 pest attack the leaves and vines and later enter the hop cone, where 

 either their excretance or their dead bodies start a fungus mould to 

 grow, which soon envelops the entire cone. 



The red spider has lately arrived, but as yet has not appeared south 

 of Puyallup. 



The experience of other hop-growing sections is that there will be a 

 constantly decreasing yield vinless the ground is fertilized; and this, 

 with the ingredients taken from the soil by the hop. The average 

 annual production per aci'e here is not two-thirds of what it was fifteen 

 years ago, and is constantly declining, until we now actually grow less 

 per acre than is produced in England, where they have taken hops from 

 the same soil for one hundred years. 



Potash, phosphoric acid, and nitrogen are the requirements for hops-, 

 but some judgment should be exercised in the use of fertilizers, for as 

 a rule our ground needs no nitrogen and not a great deal of phospate, 

 but a liberal treatment of potash is abundantly repaid. It is quite an 

 easy matter to produce an average crop of 1,500 pounds per acre on our 

 ordinary soil at an expense of $5 to $10 per acre for fertilizers. Manure 

 is a good fertilizer, but it induces too rank a growth of vines and also 

 contains so many weed seeds that the cost of keeping the weeds dowrr 

 and of hauling and spreading it on the ground exceeds the cost of the 

 commercial fertilizers. I always mix my own fertilizer and sow it 

 broadcast before the first spring plowing. 



It seems that we have reached our picking capacity in this States 

 and it is doubtful if any material increase in the production in Oregon- 

 will be made for many years. In fact, it is likely to decline after the 

 year 1907, for the reason that we are approaching an era of low prices; 

 prices below the cost of production, and which will likely continue for 

 several years, resulting in a decline in the production. While such a 

 time is very hard for us to bear, it is still harder for those in the East 

 and in Eux-ope, where the rents are so very high. These periodical eras 

 of low prices have resulted in reducing England's acreage over two- 

 thirds, as well as New York's, before mentioned, and as our soil and 

 climate are perfectly adapted to its growth, it seems likely that before 

 many years this Coast will grow practically all the hops used in 

 America and England, but before we can pick them we must provide 

 comfortable quarters for pickers, so they can live respectably and earn 

 enough to make the employment attractive. We can greatly improve in 

 our picking by getting cleaner picking done; in curing by keeping our 

 heat low and uniform and by having a free escape for the moist air; in 

 baling by doing no tamping in the press; in the production of a hop 

 rich in lupulin by the use of phosphates and potash, and a fine yellow 

 color by spreading the hops to the rays of the sun. 



