SOI- AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM 



iniT kiln. Somo peasants dry the hemp in the cliimnfrvf^ 

 of their dwelling houses; but this is a very dangerous 

 practice. Some place it in their ovens to (hy ; these do 

 not indeed expose their houses, but their hemp often 

 lakes fire; besides, in this mode a largo quantKy cannot 

 be dried. The haloir is only a cavern commonly of six 

 or seven feet hig-h, iivc or six bcoad, and nine or ten 

 deep. The u uiersidc of a rock iVccjuently makes a ve- 

 ry good haloir. Some arc arched with dry stones; 

 others are covered wit!i jarg-e (lat stones ; others merely 

 with pieces of wood covered with earth. Every man 

 makes them according to his fancy ; but all aim to j!la;:c 

 them secure from the north wind, and to give tiicm a 

 southern aspect. Because the breaking season is gene- 

 rally when tlie great frosts prevail, and when agricuhure 

 is at a stand. 



About four feet above the fire place of the haloir, and 

 two feet from its mouth, three wooden bars arc fixed of 

 about an inch diameter ; they cross the haloir iVom one 

 wall to the other, and are thereby supported by the walls. 

 Upon tliese wooden bars the hemp is placed of the depth 

 of six inches to be dried. Thus arranged, a careful w o- 

 man keeps up, underneath, a fire made of the useless part 

 of the stalks ; care is requisite, because the stalks, w.;ich 

 arc the common fuel for the purpose, consume rapidly, 

 and require to be constantly supplied to support the fire 

 in every part of the cavern ; and equal care is necessa- 

 ry to prevent the flame from rising and communicating 

 with the hemp, which is very combustible, especially af- 

 ter it has been some time in the haloir. The same wo- 

 man must turn the hemp over, to dry it equally on all 

 sides. She must also place fresh hemp when that whict^ 

 is »vcll dried is taken away to be broken. 



[To be conckulcd in our next.] 



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