CROPS. 549 



cover for perfect drying. When taken oft they are sorted into 

 three qualities the first, into the large leaves ; the second, com 

 posed of the leaves next in size : and the last, of the leaves which 

 have grown nearest the ground. 



9. HOPS. I know of nothing peculiar in the culture and 

 management of hops in Flanders, excepting the production of 

 1600 Ibs. of dried hops to an acre, which is a very large yield. 

 They are careful not to have the plantations of too large an 

 extent, as it would prevent a free circulation of air ; and 

 they manure the ground most liberally with liquid manures. 

 The hops are planted in hills six feet apart each way, and four 

 plants to each hill. A trench is dug round the hill, which is 

 filled with decomposed manure, and in some small measure 

 earthed up. The usual operations of trimming and poling them 

 follow. As no crop of hops is taken the first year, the intervals 

 are occupied by cabbages and other plants. 



A method has been recently invented and patented in England 

 for drying or curing hops, by which it is stated that at least fifty 

 per cent, of the fuel ordinarily used will be saved, and a much 

 larger amount of the essential oil of the hops, the lupulin, will 

 be retained in them. The furnace or kiln for drying them is of 

 a peculiar construction ; and the air used for drying them is 

 made to pass over sulphuric acid or quicklime, by which it is 

 divested of its watery properties, and comes in upon the hops in 

 a dry and decomposed state. The apparatus is deemed simple 

 enough, and not extraordinarily expensive. The hops dried in 

 this way have, it is stated, brought twenty-five per cent, more 

 in the market than those cured by other methods. I have seen 

 the plans for constructing the apparatus, but further experiments 

 may be desired to determine its advantages. It is said to bo 

 applicable to other agricultural purposes, such as malting, and 

 even the drying of hay, so as to expedite the process, and at the 

 same time retain the rich juices of the herbage. It is difficult to 

 conceive that it should be useful in this way upon any large 

 scale. Most patent inventions, however, like patent medicines, 

 are catholicons. 



There are cultivated in Flanders, in France, and in Italy, 

 several plants for the purpose of dyeing or coloring, such as woad, 

 which is used for a blue dye, weld for yellow, and madder for 



