50 CULTIVATION OF THE HOP. 



duced, without the danger of scalding or burning which there 

 is with the open fire. The plan I adopt, and which I think 

 the best, is to load moderately, not to hurry the drying, but 

 to keep the hops on the hair nearly twelve hours; not to 

 turn them unless quite necessary, nor take them off before 

 they are dried quite sufficiently, but lump them in the 

 cooling room, well cover them with cloths, and allow them to 

 remain until the next casting is ready to come off. They are 

 then uncovered, and, should there be any tough on the out- 

 side of the lump, they are raked off and put back on the kiln 

 to come off with the next load. The lump is then removed 

 for treading. I have pursued this plan for the last ten years, 

 and during that time have not had a single pocket objected 

 to or rejected on account of mismanagement. Some years 

 there being an exceedingly good growth, both for colour and 

 quality the presser has the advantage, but generally I am 

 in favour of the old plan of treading." 



In hop drying a good deal of difference still exists as to 

 the comparative advantages of the round and the square 

 kilns. The former is said to save much fuel ; but whether 

 round or square it should have an improved chimney, with 

 plenty of length, and great draught at the bottom. So 

 much, however, does not depend on the construction of this 

 oast as on the merits of the hop dryer. 



Formerly the dryers dried directly the hops were put 

 in, and before the ' ' reek " was gone off, and some of the old 

 dryers do the same now. This custom caused the lower 

 stratum of hops in the kiln to bake together, and the steam 

 discoloured the upper portion. With a better mode of 

 drying, a much better sample might be obtained with a 



