On Mailing. grj 



hot only risked, but, what is much more, great hazard was 

 incurred of disclosing the fraud itself, the very circumstance 

 of watering being matter of suspicion sufficient to direct 

 Specially the officer's attention to the stale and condition of 

 the particular steeping which he found illegally watered. 



The restriction of twelve days also took away from the 

 interested maltster the mischievous means of wasting the 

 substance of the corn, by throwing out too much vegetation, 

 and making that light unproductive malt which actually is 

 at this time so abundant in the market. I would therefore 

 humbly submit it as a matter of much importance, and as a 

 case resting upon grounds which cannot fairly be contro- 

 verted, that the revenue on malt can only be protected from 

 very extensive depredation, and the quality of the com- 

 modity manufactured in the greater part of the kingdom 

 preserved from a most improvident waste, by the restriction 

 against watering the grain upon the floors being extended 

 from its present period of nine to its former of twelve days. 



What has hitherto been stated in this report is the result 

 of my own previous experience and knowledge in the survey 

 and manufacture of malt; but I have now to detail the va- 

 rious practical facts and circumstances collected on my 

 journey through many of the most considerable malting 

 places, and from which I am but just returned. 



My first progress was into Hertfordshire, and into the 

 north-eastern and western directions from London, where 

 the practice of malting prevails without watering upon the 

 floors. I visited 115 different malt-houses of this descrip- 

 tion, all in full work. The periods of steeping were generally 

 •Vwice a week, and the time of keeping the corn under water 

 varied from 48 to 56 hours. This period v^-as shorter than 

 had usually been employed, owing to the barleys of the last 

 year being lighter and thinner than in former years, from 3 

 want of rain at a particular period of the crop. As the bar- 

 leys, however, were hardening by longer keeping, they 

 would take more water in the cistern. 



In my inspection of the numerous maltings, I paid every 

 attention to the state of the corn in its progress through every 

 •tage. The same process uniformly prevailed at all, and tht? 



G i! only 



