May i, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OP HOETICULTUES AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



317 



are picked ofi separately from the vines, and measured and 

 taken away at stated times daring the day, the picker being 

 paid by the piece. The rule in K^ent is so many bushels to a 

 shilling, varying from two or three in a bad year to eight or 

 ten in one that is good. This arrangement is called the tally, 

 and used formerly to be kept account of by veritable tallies, 

 which have now entirely disappeared. Tallies for the Hop 

 garden were pieces of lath about 18 inches long and 2 or more 

 broad, and were in pairs, ona being held by the master or his 

 bailiff and the other by the picker. A large number were 

 wanted in a Hop garden. The bailifi or the booker had his lot 

 all strung together by a cord running through a hole at one end 

 and thrown over his back ; and when the Hops of a picker, say 

 No. 17, were measured, the tally of that number was looked 

 out, and No. 17 also produced his or her tally, which was of 

 precisely the same description as that of the booker ; and these 

 tallies being laid together, a notch was cut in each by the same 

 cut either of a knife or small saw, and this being repeated 

 every time a measurement was made, both master and picker 

 kept an account. Notches made or removed in either tally would 

 be easily seen when they were put together ; hence, no doubt, 

 originated the very common phrase " They did not tally." 

 This plan, I believe, lingered on amongst some elderly people 

 until thirty or forty years ago, but it may be said to have fairly 

 died out, and small books prepared on purpose are now used ; 

 but I may remark that tallies were not confined to the Hop 

 garden in former days, for they were used in the Exchequer, 

 and it was the burning of these tallies which was the cause 

 of the fire that consumed the Houses of Parliament upwards 

 of thirty years ago. 



Finding that a large quantity of Hops are gathered and on 

 their way to the Hop kiln, which in Kent is called the oast 

 house, let us inspect the contrivances used for drying them. 



As the season at which Hops are harvested in this country 

 affords no chance of their being dried in the sun, and as, in 

 fact, they are more frequently gathered when wet with rain or 

 dew than when dry, artificial means must be adopted to expel 

 the superfluous moisture. For this purpose fire heat in some 

 form is indispensable, and various modes have been resorted to 

 in applying it, each with the view of economising fuel. After 

 various contrivances have been adopted recourse is often had 

 to the old mode at last. The kiln in most general use is cir- 

 cular, or there are a number of circular kilns surrounding, or 

 partly surrounding, a sqaare building of considerable size. 

 These are often from 12 to 16 feet in diameter, with brick or 

 stone walls from 16 to 20 feet high, and a steep-pitched conical 

 roof of flat tiles made on purpose. Instead of the roof termi- 

 nating in a point it does so where it is about 3 feet in diameter, 

 so as to leave a clear opening of upwards of 2 feet, upon which 

 a cowl moveable by the wind is placed, so as to exclude the 

 rain, yet allow of the escape of the steam from the Hops which 

 are being dried. The drying floor for them is from 12 to 

 15 feet or more from the ground, and is made by one or two 

 strong timber beams crossing the circle, over which are laid 

 the smaller ones called laths, which are quarteringa of about 



3 inches by 2 inches laid edgewise at about 3 inches apart. 

 Over the open latticework thus formed a hair cloth is fixed, no 

 hempen or other textile material being able to stand the fire ; 

 and I may say the wood used is also of the most incombustible 

 nature, being poplar, and it is surprising how even that with- 

 stands the heat, although accidents sometimes happen. Access 

 to the drying kiln is obtained from the adjoining loft, through 

 which the Hops are carried to be laid on, or withdrawn when 

 dried. They are placed quite a foot thick, so that a kiln 16 feet 

 in diameter will hold about two hundred bushels, which will 

 require from eight to eleven hours to dry ; but the fire being 

 kept on night and day, the kilns are loaded about twelve times 

 a-week, unless very wet weather impedes the picking. 



I now come to the fires, which are of course below on the 

 ground, and in most cases are in open flat grates raised about 

 18 inches from the surface. If there is only one fire it is about 

 the centre, and quite open, with merely a piece of sheet iron, 



4 feet square or so, hung by chains from the joists about 

 midway between the fire and the drying loft ; this is to divert 

 the heated air round the edges rather than allow it all to pass 

 directly up the centre. From this description it will be seen 

 that the heat from the fire passes through the hair cloth and 

 the body of Hops above it, and some will imagine that the 

 smoke will do so also ; but as only charcoal, coke, and Welsh 

 coal are used there is no visible smoke. At a certain period of 

 the drying process a quantity of brimstone in rolls is put on 

 the fire to give what is called a good colour to the Hops. What- 



ever may be said against the practice — and I do not uphold it 

 — there is no question as to its bleaching power. So long as 

 the eye is the principal sense to be gratified, it is likely this 

 mode of " getting up " the article will be continued. 



In drying, the man in charge attends to his fire, keeping 

 rather a slow one at first, lest the Hops nearest to the hair cloth 

 receive too much heat, but in time he increases the heat when 

 the weight of the mass is lessened by the steam being driven 

 off ; and occasionally feeling with the hand will show whether 

 the Hops are fit to turn or not, for it must be observed that 

 the heat from below dries those at the bottom, while tliose at 

 the top are still wet. Just before all are quite dry they are 

 turned, and soon afterwards they are iaktn off the kiln and 

 laid on the adjoining loft, which is usually called the stowage, 

 to cool before being packed, and a fresh lot is put on to undergo 

 the same process. The men in charge remain at their post 

 night and day, sleeping on extemporised beds. They have also 

 to pack the Hops in the bags, and it frequently occasions sur- 

 prise how so light an article can be packed so tightly without 

 the aid of machinery, as all Hops were until within the last 

 few years, and many are yet. 



The pressing machinery I need not describe, but hand-bagging 

 is simple enough. A bag of suitable size having been made, 

 its mouth is fastened into a strong wooden hoop which just fits 

 it ; and as the floor where the Hops are lying is an upstairs 

 one, a circular hole is prepared, into which the empty bag, 

 called a pocket, is hung by the hoop at its top being a little 

 larger than the hole in the floor. A few Hops are thrown into 

 the bag, and a man gets into it and treads them firmly with 

 his feet, more are added, and so on until the bag is full ; but 

 most large growers prefer a machine which does not break the 

 Hops so much as treading. It does not appear that more 

 Hops can be put into a pocket in this way than by treading, 

 but the latter work does not appear to a looker-on an enviable 

 one. — J. EoBSON. 



STEAWBERRIES THIS YEAR. 



'^ To be or not to be ?— that is the question." 

 Oeseeving in page 293 remarks upon the prospect of the 

 Strawberry crop for the coming season, in which you apprehend 

 a deficiency, judging from the appearance of the trusses — upon 

 reading them I at once examined my plants, having been for 

 several years a somewhat successful grower of that delicious 

 fruit. My beds are not very large nor numerous, but I grow 

 about five hundred plants, mostly of the British Qaeen and a 

 few of Keens' Seedling. The result of my examination, I am 

 happy to say, did not coincide with the fears entertained by 

 the writer of the remarks referred to, for, with the exception of 

 the four-year-old bed, there is every prospect of an abundant 

 crop. The plants look the picture of health, and the trusses 

 are numerous and strong. The four-year-old bed is perhaps 

 not quite so good, but for the time it has been worked I find 

 no fault with it. 



My plan is to make a new bed every year, destroying the 

 bed when the plants are four years old. I force the runners 

 the first year, then plant them out, and work them for three 

 years. My ground is of a stiff clayey description, and certainly 

 suits the Strawberry. I give little or no manure, excepting 

 when the bed is made. I cut off all the runners after the fruit- 

 ing is over, excepting those required for forcing, and later in 

 the summer, or at the beginning of autumn, I trim the plants 

 neatly round, leaving the crown well protected by leaves, not 

 adopting that barbarous custom of cutting off the leaves entirely 

 and exposing the plants to the weather whatever it may be. 



As your readers are invited to give their ideas upon the 

 Strawberry crop of this season, I have, as an amateur, de- 

 scribed my method of growing this fruit. I may add that I do 

 not allow the roots to be much disturbed by the fork when 

 turning the ground over between the rows, and I certainly 

 think that manure should be applied very sparingly, as too 

 rich ground produces only an abundance of leaves, with a short 

 supply of trusses. — B. W. B. 



GARDENERS EXCHANGING. 



I SYMPATHISE with the gardener, whoever he may be, who 

 was fined a short time since for exchanging cuttings. No doubt 

 he was legally wrong, but, then, it is and has been a custom 

 from time immemorial, and in fact I do not know what most 

 gardeners would do if it were not for this custom. It is gene- 

 rally an understood thing between men and masters. 



A well-known head gardener stated in your last week's issue 



