CLIMATF; AND SOIL FOR HOPS. 63 



California "As to Sacramento county: Hops are 

 grown almost wholly on the higher alluvial lands of the 

 Sacramento river, which are gray, pulverulent, silty or 

 sandy 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- 

 flowed region also yield 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 ol 



