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 drplicate 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 opciied 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 simj^lest means of taking out a pole 

 is to pass a chain or ro[)e around it close to the ground, 

 through which a lever is passed, and with a block of 



