KITCHEN-GARDENING. 87 



from that of drying malt ; and the kilns are of the same con- 

 struction. The hops are spread on a hair cloth, from eight to 

 twelve inches deep, according as the season is dry or wet, or 

 the Hops ripe or immature. When the ends of the Hop-stalks 

 become quite shrivelled and dry, they are taken off the kiln, 

 and laid on a board floor till they become quite cool, when 

 they are put into bags. When only a small quantity is raised, 

 they can be spread on a clean floor a few inches deep, and 

 stirred every day till they are quite dry, after which they should 

 be stored in sacks made of coarse cloth." 



MANNER OF BAGGING. 



" The bagging of Hops is thus performed. In the floor of 

 the room where Hops are laid to cool, there is a round hole or 

 trap, equal in size to the mouth of a Hop-bag. After tying a 

 handful of Hops in each of the lower corners of a large bag, 

 which serve for handles, the mouth of the bag is fixed se- 

 curely to a strong hoop, which is made to rest on the edge of 

 the hole or trap ; and the bag itself being then dropped 

 through the hole, a packer goes into it, when a person who at- 

 tends for the purpose, puts in the Hops in small quantities, in 

 order to give the packer an opportunity of packing and tram- 

 pling them as hard as possible. When the bag is filled, and the 

 Hops trampled in so hard that it will hold no more, it is drawn 

 up, loosened from the hoop, and the end sewed up, two other 

 handles having been previously formed in the corners in the 

 manner mentioned above. The brightest and finest-colored 

 Hops are put into fine bagging, and the brown into coarse or 

 heavy bagging. The former are chiefly used for brewing fine 

 ale, and the latter by the porter brewers. But when Hops are 

 intended to be kept two or three years, they are put into 

 bags of strong cloth, and firmly pressed with a screw so as to 

 exclude the air." Hops are also pressed into small packages, 

 in paper bags, weighing half a pound and upwards, to suit the 

 wants of small families. 



