The War on the Hop Louse in Puyallup

Twenty-five horse-power hop-sprayers have been heard from in the Puyallup area, and reports indicate that from ten to fifty acres apiece have been sprayed. Growers are now confident of keeping the vermin down sufficiently to prevent bad effects on the hops. C. W. Stewart argues that growers might do their crop more good if they did not delay spraying until mid-July, as the hop is so backward this year that they cannot spray effectively after the end of July. E. Meeker & Co. have imported 135,000 pounds of logs from Brazil, which are being reduced to quassia chips in Puyallup. These chips are then kiln-dried and sold to growers to create a bitter extract used to repel the pests. One local pharmacist and hop grower suggests that the most economical way is to soak the chips in cold water for twelve hours rather than boiling them, which may destroy their strength. Meanwhile, Mr. Fernandez, who has twenty-one acres, reports that the files are already decreasing. He believes the partial crop failure is due to the late season, early picking last year, and over-pruning, which he argues interferes with the health of the vine.