VOL. XXXV.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 281 



to the frame, and then are plastered over on both sides, as is also the plank at 

 bottom very thick, to serve for a hearth. Over the mouth, or widest part, goes 

 a hair-cloth fixed to 2 sides of the kiln, as also to two rollers, or moveable 

 pieces of wood, which are turned by wedges or screws, to stretch the cloth. 

 Instead of the hair-cloth, many people use a net-work of iron-wire, with which 

 it is observed, that the saffron dries sooner, and with a less quantity of fuel ; 

 but the difficulty of preserving the saffron from burning, makes the hair-cloth 

 be preferred by the nicest judges. 



The kiln is placed in a light part of the house; and they begin by laying 5 or 

 6 sheets of white paper on the hair-cloth, on which they spread the wet saffron, 

 between 2 and 3 inches thick. This they cover with other sheets of paper, and 

 over these they lay a coarse blanket 5 or 6 times doubled, or a canvas pillow 

 filled with straw ; and after the fire has been lighted for some time, the whole 

 is covered with a board, having a large weight upon it. 



At first they give it a pretty strong heat, to make the chives sweat, as their 

 expression is; and here, if they be not very careful, they are in danger of 

 scorching, and so spoiling all that is on the kiln. When it has been thus dried 

 for about an hour, they take off the board, blanket, and upper papers, and take 

 the saffron off from that which lies next it, raising at the same time the edges 

 of the cake with a knife. Then laying on the papers again, they slide in an- 

 other board between the hair-cloth and under- papers, and turn both papers and 

 saffron upside down, afterwards covering them as above. 



This same heat is continued for an hour longer; then they look to the cake 

 again, free it from the papers and turn it ; they then cover it, and lay on the 

 weight as before. If nothing happens amiss during these first two hours, they 

 reckon the danger to be over ; for they have nothing more to do, but to keep 

 a gentle fire, and turn their cake every half hour, till it be thoroughly dry ; 

 for doing which as it ought, there are required full 24 hours. 



In drying the large plump chives they use nothing ; but towards the latter 

 end of the crop, when these come to be smaller, they sprinkle the cake with a 

 little small-beer, to make it sweat as it ought ; and they begin now to think, 

 that using 2 linen cloths next the cake, instead of the 2 innermost papers, may 

 be of some advantage in drying; but this practice is followed as yet but by 

 few. 



The fire may be made of any kind of fuel ; but that which smokes the least 

 is best, and charcoal for that reason is preferred to any other. 



What quantity of saffron a first crop will produce is very uncertain. Some- 

 times 5 or 61b. of wet chives are got from one rood; sometimes not above 1 or 

 2, and sometimes not enough to make it worth while to gather and dry it. But 



VOL. vii. O o 



