WHITESIDE COUNTY by Wayne Bastian 1968 - pg 261 - 262
It is an almost forgotten fact that Ira S. Burch raised hops successfully and profitably for several years in the [Garden Plain] township. He began about 1870 and continued for five or more years. In 1874, he planted two acres with the "set". Each set or toot had two eyes and they were planted three to a hill about the first of May. The plants grew rapidly and the strobili or cones were ready for harvesting early in September.
The harvest season was a time of celebration and about 30 girls gathered to pick the hops which were really ripened flowers of the female vine. The plant was dioecious. Mr. Burch expounded on the beneficial effects from hop-picking and claimed that the pickers appeared at the farm puny and pale to improve rapidly in the beautiful autumn weather. Dances on the green enlivened the evenings and there was an old-world charm about the harvest-time activities.
As fast as the girls filled the baskets, they were emptied into large boxes and carried to the eats-house. There they were spread on screens to dry. The curing process was hastened by a system of stove-pipes passing back and forth under the hops. At a certain point in the drying, brimstone was used to remove the rust from the strobili. Overnight drying was sufficient. Curing of the crop was supervised by C.H. Stewart, a man with long experience in processing the flavorful cones.
The dried hops were pressed into bales of 160 to 200 pounds. They were marketed for use in local breweries at Fulton, Lyons and Clinton. In 1874, the yield was about 1,000 pounds of dried hops per acre. The dried product brought 50 cents per pound.
Personal Note: Ira S. Burch is said to have had small pox as a child. This left scars on his face. He wore a full beard all his life.
Information provided by Reta Kleve 05/07/2011
It is an almost forgotten fact that Ira S. Burch raised hops successfully and profitably for several years in the [Garden Plain] township. He began about 1870 and continued for five or more years. In 1874, he planted two acres with the "set". Each set or toot had two eyes and they were planted three to a hill about the first of May. The plants grew rapidly and the strobili or cones were ready for harvesting early in September.
The harvest season was a time of celebration and about 30 girls gathered to pick the hops which were really ripened flowers of the female vine. The plant was dioecious. Mr. Burch expounded on the beneficial effects from hop-picking and claimed that the pickers appeared at the farm puny and pale to improve rapidly in the beautiful autumn weather. Dances on the green enlivened the evenings and there was an old-world charm about the harvest-time activities.
As fast as the girls filled the baskets, they were emptied into large boxes and carried to the eats-house. There they were spread on screens to dry. The curing process was hastened by a system of stove-pipes passing back and forth under the hops. At a certain point in the drying, brimstone was used to remove the rust from the strobili. Overnight drying was sufficient. Curing of the crop was supervised by C.H. Stewart, a man with long experience in processing the flavorful cones.
The dried hops were pressed into bales of 160 to 200 pounds. They were marketed for use in local breweries at Fulton, Lyons and Clinton. In 1874, the yield was about 1,000 pounds of dried hops per acre. The dried product brought 50 cents per pound.
Personal Note: Ira S. Burch is said to have had small pox as a child. This left scars on his face. He wore a full beard all his life.
Information provided by Reta Kleve 05/07/2011
WHITESIDE COUNTY by Wayne Bastian 1968 - pg 261 - 262
It is an almost forgotten fact that Ira S. Burch raised hops successfully and profitably for several years in the [Garden Plain] township. He began about 1870 and continued for five or more years. In 1874, he planted two acres with the "set". Each set or toot had two eyes and they were planted three to a hill about the first of May. The plants grew rapidly and the strobili or cones were ready for harvesting early in September.
The harvest season was a time of celebration and about 30 girls gathered to pick the hops which were really ripened flowers of the female vine. The plant was dioecious. Mr. Burch expounded on the beneficial effects from hop-picking and claimed that the pickers appeared at the farm puny and pale to improve rapidly in the beautiful autumn weather. Dances on the green enlivened the evenings and there was an old-world charm about the harvest-time activities.
As fast as the girls filled the baskets, they were emptied into large boxes and carried to the eats-house. There they were spread on screens to dry. The curing process was hastened by a system of stove-pipes passing back and forth under the hops. At a certain point in the drying, brimstone was used to remove the rust from the strobili. Overnight drying was sufficient. Curing of the crop was supervised by C.H. Stewart, a man with long experience in processing the flavorful cones.
The dried hops were pressed into bales of 160 to 200 pounds. They were marketed for use in local breweries at Fulton, Lyons and Clinton. In 1874, the yield was about 1,000 pounds of dried hops per acre. The dried product brought 50 cents per pound.
Personal Note: Ira S. Burch is said to have had small pox as a child. This left scars on his face. He wore a full beard all his life.
Information provided by Reta Kleve 05/07/2011
It is an almost forgotten fact that Ira S. Burch raised hops successfully and profitably for several years in the [Garden Plain] township. He began about 1870 and continued for five or more years. In 1874, he planted two acres with the "set". Each set or toot had two eyes and they were planted three to a hill about the first of May. The plants grew rapidly and the strobili or cones were ready for harvesting early in September.
The harvest season was a time of celebration and about 30 girls gathered to pick the hops which were really ripened flowers of the female vine. The plant was dioecious. Mr. Burch expounded on the beneficial effects from hop-picking and claimed that the pickers appeared at the farm puny and pale to improve rapidly in the beautiful autumn weather. Dances on the green enlivened the evenings and there was an old-world charm about the harvest-time activities.
As fast as the girls filled the baskets, they were emptied into large boxes and carried to the eats-house. There they were spread on screens to dry. The curing process was hastened by a system of stove-pipes passing back and forth under the hops. At a certain point in the drying, brimstone was used to remove the rust from the strobili. Overnight drying was sufficient. Curing of the crop was supervised by C.H. Stewart, a man with long experience in processing the flavorful cones.
The dried hops were pressed into bales of 160 to 200 pounds. They were marketed for use in local breweries at Fulton, Lyons and Clinton. In 1874, the yield was about 1,000 pounds of dried hops per acre. The dried product brought 50 cents per pound.
Personal Note: Ira S. Burch is said to have had small pox as a child. This left scars on his face. He wore a full beard all his life.
Information provided by Reta Kleve 05/07/2011
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