If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me.Wednesday, April 18, 1894 --- Bert declares it a hot and dry day. Remember it is only a few days past a quite heavy snowfall! We crawled out of bed at seven o'clock this morning. Chores as always and then Bert goes to Milo Dye's place and "commenced setting hop poles"
Thursday, April 19, 1894 --- Chores as always, and then Russell and Bert hauled hop poles over to Milo Dye's place until it started raining around 11 AM. They quit for a while, and then drew more hop poles until around 3PM. Bert then set poles until around 5PM when it rained again. Bert says "I set 149 poles in twenty four minutes."
I'm not sure how setting poles that fast is possible unless they used a different method of growing hops than I've been able to research. Most hop poles are 10 to 15 feet tall, with wires or strings strung between the tops from which strings are hung for the hop vines to climb. A couple of pictures below. It would seem to me that setting one pole might take 24 minutes! The next day Bert says he set 78 poles in 10.5 minutes? Any feedback on hop farming in 1894 that might explain the process would be very helpful.
Thursday, April 19, 1894 --- Chores as always, and then Russell and Bert hauled hop poles over to Milo Dye's place until it started raining around 11 AM. They quit for a while, and then drew more hop poles until around 3PM. Bert then set poles until around 5PM when it rained again. Bert says "I set 149 poles in twenty four minutes."
I'm not sure how setting poles that fast is possible unless they used a different method of growing hops than I've been able to research. Most hop poles are 10 to 15 feet tall, with wires or strings strung between the tops from which strings are hung for the hop vines to climb. A couple of pictures below. It would seem to me that setting one pole might take 24 minutes! The next day Bert says he set 78 poles in 10.5 minutes? Any feedback on hop farming in 1894 that might explain the process would be very helpful.
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