nARVESTIXn THE CROP. 



ir;i 



The date of picking depends upon the time of ma- 

 turity. In Washington and C)rcj^on. the harvest 

 usuall\- hc'L;ins l)el\\cen September I and lo; in CaH- 

 fornia, it is some days earlier; in New York, picking 

 l)egins between August 22 and September i ; in Eng- 

 land, about the same time, and in ICurope, from August 

 15 to 25. Abroad, the harvest usually lasts through 

 three weeks, as more care is taken there to have 



'■«• 



't^' 





' ^' 





H 



FIG. 82. INDIAN PICKERS' LODGES, CALIFORNIA. 



early, medium and late varieties to thus extend the 

 harvest. In America,. the bulk of the harvest is over 

 in 12 to 15 days, but owing to very early or very back- 

 v.ard vards, hop picking may cover over a month. 



Hops are ripe and ready for picking when the 

 seed becomes hard and tlie point of the cone closes up 

 and the hop feels liard and solid when grasped in the 

 hand and makes a rustling sound when touched. The 

 hop is known to be ripe bv the following signs: "Dur- 

 11 



