HARVESTING THE CROP. 



101 



The date of picking depends upon the time of ma- 

 turity. In Washington and Oregon, the harvest 

 usually begins between September i and 10; in Cali- 

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

 begins between August 22 and September i ; in Eng- 

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

 15 to 25. Abroad, the harvest usually lasts through 

 three weeks," as more care is taken there to have 



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- 

 ward yards, hop picking may cover over a month. 



Hops are ripe and ready for picking when the 

 seed becomes hard and the point of the cone closes up 

 and the hop feels hard and solid when grasped in the 

 hand and makes a rustling sound when touched. The 

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

 11 



