402 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



but a fine hazel earth on a substratum of chalk 

 should be chosen for the purpose. The ground is 

 carefully prepared during two or three months 

 previously to planting by manuring and frequent 

 ploughings. The time of planting is commonly in 

 the month of July. The manner this work is 

 generally performed is for one man to make a small 

 narrow trench, throwing up the earth at one side; 

 two persons follow with roots, which they place 

 about three inches from each other ; another trench 

 is then made at the same distance from the first as 

 the roots are from each other, the preceding one 

 being filled up with the mould dug out of the second, 

 and so on, till the whole field is planted. About 

 .128 bushels of roots are in this manner planted in 

 one acre. In September they begin to vegetate, 

 they are then weeded, and in the next month the 

 flowers appear. These are gathered before as well 

 as after they are full blown. The most favourable 

 hour for gathering them is early in the morning. 

 The whole of the flowers are plucked and thrown by 

 handfuls into a basket. When carried home the 

 stigmata are picked off, arid the rest of the flower 

 thrown away as useless. The next labour is to dry 

 the saffron. For this purpose a kiln of a particular 

 construction is used, by which the delicate article 

 under process is protected from the accession of too 

 much heat. Over the mouth of the kiln is placed a 

 hair-cloth, or net-work of iron wire, and above this 

 several sheets of white paper, upon which the fresh 

 saffron is spread about two or three inches thick. 

 This saffron is covered with other sheets of paper, 

 over which is placed a coarse blanket folded five 

 or six times, or a canvas pillow filled with straw. 

 After a fire has been for some little time lighted 

 underneath, the whole is covered with a weighted 

 board. No fuel should be used that emits smoke, as 



