HARVESTING THE CROP. 103 



together. The stalks, peduncles, may be cut with scis- 

 sors, knives, or with finger nails, but care must be taken 

 that the cut is clean. The stalk, or peduncle, left on 

 the cone should be as short as possible to avoid an ex- 

 cess of bitterness in the beer, but in order to keep the 

 cone intact and to prevent any loss, the stalk may be 

 from a quarter to half an inch long. Not a single leaf 

 should be mixed with the cones. Cones cut too long 

 or mixed with leaves are inferior, and notwithstanding 

 the slightly increased weight, the market value is con- 

 siderably reduced. The increased weight due to the 

 presence of long stalks and leaves cannot exceed 10 

 per cent, of the whole without rendering it unsalable, 



FIG. 83. HOP BIN FRAME, NEW YORK. 



while the corresponding depreciation would exceed 

 25 per cent, on the price obtained if the crop had been 

 properly picked. In this matter of picking clean, the 

 utmost care must be insisted upon in America as it 

 is in Germany and Kent. Picking into baskets holding 

 three to seven bushels is preferred by some, to large 

 boxes holding 20 bushels. 



PICKERS AND PRICES 



Indians, Japanese and Chinese, also whites, pick 

 hops on the Pacific coast. In New York, pickers come 

 largely from the villages and cities, as not enough help 

 is available in the rural districts. The same is true in 

 England, wnere 60,000 pickers come into the hop coun- 



