CULTIVATION. 235 



1,500 to 2,000 hurdles 31| x 63 inches, and formed of wooden 

 framesfand matting, the cost being about lOd. each. The 

 hurdles in each rack are about 6 inches apart. Down the 

 middle of the room is a gangway about 7 feet wide, and a 

 space of 20 inches is left at the sides, between the frames 

 and the wall. At first the hops are spread out to a depth 

 of only 1 to 1^ inch, but at the end of three days they are 

 transferred to other hurdles in deeper layers (2 to 2| inches), 

 and six to eight days will see them quite dry and ready to 

 be turned out on the bagging floor. Here they are spread 

 out in 4-inch layers, and afterwards thrown into heaps, 

 the final operation of bagging being effected with a hop 

 press in the early hours of the morning. A shed of this 

 kind costs in Schassburg from £200 to £300 to build. 



Hops dried in sheds are particularly handsome and uni- 

 form in appearance. Occasionally provision is made for 

 heating the drying sheds, in order to lessen the dependence 

 on external temperature and weather, as well as to accele- 

 rate drying. 



The original arrangements for drying hops by artificially 

 heated air had little special to recommend them, but of late 

 years they have developed into the modern hop kiln (hop 

 oast), by the aid of which drying can be rapidly effected in 

 any weather without the hops being in any degree depreciated 

 in appearance, colour or lupulin content — always provided 

 care is taken to keep up the proper degree of heat and 

 afford a plentiful supply and proper discharge of air. 



The first point to consider in erecting a hop kiln, 

 whether for continuous or intermittent drying, is the proper 

 arrangement of the heating apparatus ; and the next, to 

 provide an efficient ventilation that shall also be under 

 proper control. So far as the former is concerned it should 

 be observed that no satisfactory results can be expected 

 from a hearth, etc., which allows the fumes and hot pro- 



