190 



HOPS. 



to laying them flat down or with a gentle slope, because, 

 under such circumstances, any water finding its way into 

 cracks in the wood has no opportunity of draining away, and 

 therefore helps to set up premature rotting. If, however, 

 horizontal stacking is decided upon, care must be taken to 

 keep the poles from direct contact with the ground, by 



Fig. 46. — Pyramidal foundation for stacking poles. 



first putting down two or three wooden beams and then 

 laying the poles across them, the ends of the stack being 

 kept up by suitable wooden uprights. 



Owing to the habit various injurious insects have of 

 taking up their winter quarters in the cracks of poles, the 

 latter should always be thoroughly overhauled and cleaned 

 before use, a practice, however, only too frequently neglected. 

 To be successful the operation of cleaning, by scraping out 

 the cracks and brushing the poles over with petroleum, 

 should be performed with sufficient care. Drawing the 



