The Hop Louse War on the Green River
Farmers in the Puyallup and Green River valleys battle an infestation of hop aphids using new horse-powered sprayers.
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Growers in the Puyallup and Green River valleys are facing a serious infestation of hop aphis, which has arrived later than usual due to a cool, backward spring. Farmers like J.V. Meeker and the Boss brothers are deploying new horse-powered roller sprayers to combat the lice, which are concentrated on the topmost leaves of the vines this year. Experts emphasize that thorough saturation with an emulsion of whale oil and soap is the only effective treatment. Farmers like Mr. Fernandez express optimism that systematic, cross-field spraying will save the crops, though others fear significant losses due to the insects' unpredictable behavior.
“It keeps the growers busy keeping up with the different pranks of this tiny insect.”
Hop farming remains a massive, culturally vital industry in Washington State. The struggle against agricultural pests, and the reliance on new technology to save the yield, remains a core tension in Pacific Northwest farming history.
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