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and the Weeds, e^r. rak*d into the 

 Furrows, other wife they would 

 feinder the Growth of the Plants. 



In fome time after appear the 

 Sajfron-JIovpers ; and this leads us to 

 the third Branch ot our prefent 

 Method. The Flowers are ga- 

 thered as well before as after they 

 are full blown j and the moft pro- 

 per Time for this is early in the 

 Morning. The Owners of the Saf- 

 frm get together a fufficient Num- 

 ber of Hands, who place therafelves 

 in different Parts of tkf Field, pull 

 off the whole Flowers, and throw 

 them Handful by Handful into a 

 Basket, and lb continue till all vhe 

 Flowers are gathered, , which hap- 

 pens commonly about ten or ele- 

 ven o'clock. 



Having then carry'd home all 

 they have goc, they immediately 

 ipread them upon 6. large Table, 

 and !^il to picking out the Fila- 

 menta Styli or Chives, and toge- 

 ther with ihem a pretty long Por- 

 tion of the Stylus it felf or String 

 to which they are join'd; the reft 

 of the Flower they throw away 

 as ufelefs: T\\t next Morning they 

 return into Field again, whether it 

 be wet or dry Weather, and fo on 

 daily, even on Sundays, till the 

 whole Crop be gathered. 



The Chives being all pick'd out 

 of the Flowers, the next Labour 

 about them is to dry them on the 

 Kiln. The Kiln is built upon a 

 thick Piank (that it may be mov'd 

 from Place to Place} fupported by 

 tour (hort Legs: The Outfide con- 

 iifts of eight Pieces of Wood about 

 three Inches thick, in Form of a 

 quadrangular Frame, about twelve 

 Inches fquare at the Bottom on 

 the Infide, and twenty-two Inches 

 at Top J which is likewife egual 

 to the perpendicular Height of it. 

 On the Fore-lide is left a Hole 



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about eight inches Square, and 

 four Inches above the Piank, thro' 

 which the Fire is put in. Over 

 all the reft. Laths are laid pretty 

 thick, clofe to one another, and 

 nail'd to the Fram.e already men- -■ 

 tioned, and then are plaifter'd over 

 on both Sides, as are aifo ttie Planks 

 at Bottom very thick, to ferve for' 

 a Hearth. Over the Mouth or 

 wideft Part goes a Hair-cloth, fix'd 

 to the Sides of the Kiln, and like- 

 wife to t'vo Rollers or moveable 

 Pieces of Wood, which are turn'd 

 by Wedges or Screws, in order to 

 ftretch the Cloth, inftead of the 

 Hair-cloth, many People now ufe 

 a Ncr-work, or Iron-wire, with 

 which it is cbferv'd that the Saf- 

 fron dries fooncr. and with a lefs 

 Quantity of Fuel ; But the Diffi- 

 culty in prefcrving the Sajfron from 

 burning, makes the Hair-cloth be 

 preferred by the niceft Judges in 

 Drying. 



The Kiln is plac'd in a light 

 Part of the Uo-jiic; and they begin 

 by la^ tng five or tix Sheets of white 

 Papei on the Hair-cloth, upon 

 which they fpread the wet Sajfron 

 between two and three Inches 

 thick 5 this they cover with other 

 Sheets of Paper, and over thefe lay 

 a coarfe Blanket five or iix times 

 doubled, or, inftead thereof, a Can- 

 vas-pillow fiird with Straw J and 

 after the Fire has been lighted few 

 fome Time, the Whole is cover'd 

 with a Board, having a large Weight 

 upon it. 



At firfl; they give it a pretty 

 ftrong Heat, to make the Chives 

 fweat (as their ExprelTion is)j and 

 in this, if they do not ufe a great 

 deal of Care, they are in Danger 

 of fcorching, and fo of fpoiling all 

 that is on the Kiln. 



When it has been thus d -ied a- 



bout an Hour, they take off the 



Boards 



