HOPS. 219 



nailed, leaving open spaces between them three-fourths of an 

 inch, over which a thin linen cloth is spread and nailed at the 

 edges to the sills. A board about twelve inches wide is set 

 up on each side of the kiln, on the inner edge of the sill, to 

 torm ;i bin to receive the hops. The larger the stones made 

 use of in the construction of the kiln, the better; as it will 

 give a more steady and dens*- heat. The inside of the kiln 

 -Inmld b:^ well plastured with mortar to make it completely 

 air.tight. Charcoal (that made from yellow birch or maple 

 I should prefer) is the only fuel proper to be used in drying 

 hops. Tln % kiln should be well heated before any hops are 

 put on, and carefully attended, to keep a steady and regular 

 bet l-'ifty pounds of hops, when dried, is the largest quan- 

 tity that should be dried at one time, on a kiln of this size ; 

 and unless absolutely necessary to put on that quantity, a less 

 would dry better. The green hops should be spread as evenly 

 and as light as possible over the kiln. The fire at first 

 hould b* moderate, but it may be increased as the hops drv 

 and the strain is evaporated. The hops, after laying a few 

 days, will gather a partial moisture, called a sweat. The 

 sweat will probably begin to subside in about eight days, at 

 which time, and before the sweat is off, they ought to be 

 bagged in clear dry weather. As the exact time when the 

 hops will begin to sweat, and when the sweat will begin to 

 subside or dry off, (the proper time to bag them,) will vary 

 with the state of the atmosphere, it will be necessary to c\a- 

 mine the hops from day to day, which is easily done by tak- 

 ing some of them from the centre of the heap with your hand. 

 If on examination you find the hops to be very damp, and 

 their color altering, which will be the case if they were not 

 completely dried on the kiln, and not otherwise, you must 

 overhaul them and dry them in the air. Hops should not re- 

 main long in the bin or bag after they are picked, as they 

 will very soon heat and become insipid. The hops should 

 not be stirred on the kiln until they are completely and fully 

 dried. Then they should be removed from the kiln into a dry 

 room, and laid in a heap, and there remain, unmoved and un- 

 stirred, until bagged, which is done with a screw, having a 

 box made of plank, the size the bag is wished, into which the 

 cloth is laid, and the hops screwed into the, bo\. which is so con- 

 structed that the sides may lie removed and the bag si- wed to- 

 gether while in the press. The rno-i convenient si/e lor a bag 

 of hops to handle and transport, is about live feet in length ami 

 to contain about two hundred and lilly pounds. The best 



