Pestilence in the Puyallup Valley Hop Fields
A rainy, humid August threatens the harvest as growers fight aphid infestations and labor shortages.
PUYALLUP, Aug. 21.—[Special.]—The recent warm, muggy weather has greatly increased the number of vermin, and the foggy nights which are now coming on have the effect of sending the hop lice into the burr. The negligent growers are at last getting very much concerned as to the safety of their crops, as is now patent to all. Many are fearful of spraying now as the burr is so far advanced that there is great danger of injuring the market quality. E. C. Merrill has started for Independence, Oregon, to arrange for 120 pickers, expecting to harvest 400 bales.
“The recent warm, muggy weather has greatly increased the number of vermin, and the foggy nights which are now coming on have the effect of sending the hop lice into the burr.”
The hop industry defined the economy of the Puyallup valley in the 1890s, and like modern agricultural labor, it relied heavily on the seasonal movement of workers. The tension between the 'negligent' growers and the need for a massive, healthy crop highlights the precarious nature of early Washington farming.
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