Pbocbedinos op tee Farmer^ Club. 135 



roof for ventilation. Should a violent wind prevail at any time 

 during drying, so as to drive the fire about within the kiln, the 

 slides upon the windward side may be closed. As soon as the hops 

 upon the kiln are dried, all the slides should be closed, so as to stop 

 the draft of air through them, for at that stage it can do no good. 



A chimney may be constructed inside the kiln, or a stove-pipe 

 may be carried up outside. A chimney economizes the heat, and, 

 in the long run, if properly constructed, is the safer of the two. 

 Up to a point at least a foot above the hops it should be eight 

 inches thick, beyond that four inches will answer. Where the hops 

 would lie against the chimney, it should be enclosed by a wooden 

 partition, four inches from the chimney, so as to keep the hops 

 from contact with the bricks. 



It is now considered that a space of fourteen feet between the 

 cloth and the ground floor is desirable. In old kilns it was very 

 common to have the space only eight or nine feet, and these kilns 

 worked well, but required much care. The advantages of a high 

 kiln are that there is no danger of scorching the hops, that the heat 

 is more equally diflTused over the entire surface, and the fumes of 

 the sulphur come more readily and certainly in contact with every 

 portion of the hops upon the cloth. Some have raised the floor to 

 sixteen and even eighteen feet, but experience does not commend 

 that practice. 



The posts may extend from four to six feet above the cloth, that 

 being entirely a matter of taste and convenience. If too low, it is 

 awkward to move about the kiln in spreading and removing the 

 hops. 



The ground floor may consist of well-rammed earth. The kiln 

 floor should consist of slats. The scare generally one and a half 

 inches square, and placed one and a half inches apart. Slats, one 

 and a half by two inches, and two inches apart, laid with the one 

 and a half inch face up, are preferred by many. The joints should 

 be very smooth, and nailed so as to resist warping, or the cloth 

 will sufler damage. These slats should run in the same direction 

 as you wish to remove the hops after drying. This floor is covered 

 by a cloth or carpet, manufactured for the purpose. 



The sides, as high as the plates, should be thoroughly plastered 

 to retain the heat, but the ceiling above the plates may be left 

 unfinished; it is not desirable to have the plaster over the hops. 

 Both the fire room and the drying room should be well-lighted by 

 moderate-sized windows, so that the entire process may be care- 



