It's that time of year again when a ham's fancy turns to...gardening? This normally respectable ARRL official reports an unusual crop.

We all know that The Old Man (Hiram Percy Maxim) was the discoverer of the Wouff Hong. Its history has been reported in QST on a number of occasions. So, we know where it came from, but we have never known--until now--exactly what it is. Is it animal, vegetable, or mineral? The original Wouff Hong, on display at ARRL HQ in Newington, Connecticut, seems to be made of some fibrous material, unquestionably vegetable. Wood? A root? What? The answer is surprising--it's not only vegetable material, it is a vegetable.

Several years ago while fishing in the McKenzie River in central Oregon--with Wolf Laskowski, KD6WUZ--my line caught a snag. At first I thought it might be an old root or perhaps an old decayed log. It took several minutes to get the material to shore. When it was safely out of the water we were absolutely astounded to note that it was a perfectly formed Wouff Hong! Where did it come from? Why was it there? We rummaged through the thick foliage growing along the river bank, and within only a few minutes found another one. It was firmly rooted in the ground, but seemed to have shed some seeds, shaped like miniature Wouff Hongs. The rich soil of the valley and the high water content of the soil, only a few feet from the rushing water of the McKenzie River, seemed to provide ideal growing conditions for the Wouff Hong.

Wolf Laskowski, KD6WUZ, is cultivating our Hong garden. The health and vigor of the many plants is obvious. [Photos by the author]

Of course we had to test our theory that the McKenzie River Valley is ideal for growing Wouff Hongs. In spring 2001 we took a portion of the small number of seeds we had found and planted them in a small plot only a few dozen feet from the river. We're happy to report that the first crop did very well indeed. It took work, however, for they require regular attention to make certain that they grow in a near weed-free environment. In the last photo the Hongs have been washed and laid out to dry. We managed to get 23 good ones this first time around.

Wouff Hongs are rare and very expensive. They are auctioned on the eBay Web site from time to time, and always bring very high prices. This is a pity, for the many beneficial effects of Wouff Hongs are well known: when used properly, they reduce interference, improve propagation, and can be used to punish those who misuse our bands. With this new discovery, it's clear that there is no need for Wouff Hongs to be the rare items they have been for many years. We intend to make Wouff Hongs as ubiquitous as hand-held radios, for we believe that every ham who wants one should be able to obtain one, and at a reasonable price. Consistent with that belief, we're presently clearing land in the McKenzie River Valley for our Wouff Hong farm. Soon every deserving ham will have an opportunity to obtain one. All profits will go to the ARRL Foundation.

Jim, W6CF, and XYL Trudy, KC6NAX, harvesting their first crop.

The Hongs have been washed and laid out to dry. Jim and Trudy managed to get 23 good ones this first time around.

ARRL Pacific Division Director Jim Maxwell, W6CF, lives near Santa Cruz, California. He has written several articles for QST from 1977 to present. Maxwell holds a DXCC certificate with 367 entities credited and has earned the WAS and A-1 Operator certificates. He can be reached at w6cf@ARRL.org.

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