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05-02-2018, 08:17
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I knew that the US hop industry was initially centred on the East Coast, mostly in New York State. Then later mostly on the West Coast. But when did it move?

Luckily, I’ve come across some numbers that answer the question. God, I love numbers. Sometimes I think they’re my only true friends.

The last year when more than 50% of the US hop crop came from New York State was 1892. The percentages I’ve calculated myself.



Estimated hop production of the United States, 1889–1899.


Crop.
Pacific coast
New York
Total



Bales
%
Bales
%
Bales


1889
106,157
48.78%
111,461
51.22%
217,618


1890
105,619
51.56%
99,229
48.44%
204,848


1891
94,000
45.19%
114,000
54.81%
208,000


1892
105,000
47.09%
118,000
52.91%
223,000


1893
143,000
53.36%
125,000
46.64%
268,000


1894
179,500
56.18%
140,000
43.82%
319,500


1895
180,300
62.11%
110,000
37.89%
290,300


1896
103,000
57.87%
75,000
42.13%
178,000


1897
152,000
66.96%
75,000
33.04%
227,000


1898
151,950
70.04%
65,000
29.96%
216,950


1899
182,000
75.83%
58,000
24.17%
240,000


Total 11 years
1,502,526
57.92%
1,090,690
42.04%
2,594,216


Source:


"Hop Culture in California" by Daniel Flint, 1900, Government Printing Office Washington, page 25.




There’s the when taken care of. What about the why? The same pamphlet has some more detailed numbers by state and they seem to provide the answer.

I’d always assumed it was because of disease on the East Coast. But there’s another reason that leaps out from these numbers:



Acreage, yield, and value of hops in the United States in 1889.


States.
Acres.
Bales.
Value.
bales per acre
price per bale


New York
36,670
111,461
$2,210,137
3.04
$19.83


Washington
5,113
46,185
841,206
9.03
$18.21


California
3,974
36,374
605,842
9.15
$16.66


Oregon
3,130
20,076
322,700
6.41
$16.07


Wisconsin
967
2,381
51,983
2.46
$21.83


Other States
358
1,141
27,829
3.19
$24.39


Total
50,212
217,618
4,059,697
4.33
$18.66


Source:


"Hop Culture in California" by Daniel Flint, 1900, Government Printing Office Washington, page 24.



The two rightmost columns are my own calculations from the other numbers. A bale was 180 lbs, in case you’re wondering. The bales per acre is what tells a story. The yield on the West Coast was way higher than in New York. Though someone must have liked the New York hops as the price per bale is higher.

The numbers for 1890 are similar, except the price of hops was much higher.



Acreage, yield, and value of hops in the United States in 1890.


States.
Acres.
Bales.
Value.
bales per acre
price per bale


New York
35,552
99,229
$6,068,163
2.79
$61.15


Washington
5,282
49,348
2,284,955
9.34
$46.30


California
3,796
31,761
1,521,847
8.37
$47.92


Oregon
3,223
21,174
1,047,224
6.57
$49.46


Wisconsin
871
2,556
142,198
2.93
$55.63


Other States
238
780
41,037
3.28
$52.61


Total
48,962
204,848
11,105,424
4.18
$54.21


Source:


"Hop Culture in California" by Daniel Flint, 1900, Government Printing Office Washington, page 24.




I don’t quite understand why the price of hops had trebled when the total produced wasn’t that much less.

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