CULTIVATION. 239 , 



top of the kiln, through which the charged frames are 

 introduced, and a similar opening is provided below, at B, 

 for the removal of the frames after the hops are dried. 

 Motion is imparted to the train of frames by a crank, and 

 the kiln is heated by a furnace situated at the bottom and 

 communicating vnth the outside air by means of a conduit. 

 The heated air is delivered to the interior of the kiln through 

 distributing pipes turned so as to open towards the walls. 

 In order to supply sufficient ventilation, a vertical air pipe, 

 not shown in the drawing, is mounted in the centre of the 

 kiln, and is fed by two fans. The frames laden with green 

 hops gradually descend the spiral track, and, on reaching 

 the bottom opening, are removed, emptied, and sent up 

 again in a hoist to be re-filled. The speed is regulated so 

 that each frame remains about ten hours in the kiln, and 

 the temperature is maintained at 20° to 30° C. (68° to 86° F.). 



The kiln can, of course, be used intermittently, in which 

 event the frames are all charged and introduced at once, and 

 left in for six to ten hours before discharging. In con- 

 tinuous work the output is about one ton of dried hops per 

 twenty-four hours. The kiln, though valuable for large 

 users, or associations of growers, is, however, too expensive 

 for small growers ; and for the latter Heijak has constructed 

 the smaller kiln shown in Fig. 68, which may be termed the 

 " column " system, to distinguish it from the larger form. 



The arrangement of this smaller kiln is as follows : 

 two or more columns, each of 30 to 50 superimposed 

 frames, are erected around a central free space, which is 

 divided into two or three storeys by means of boarded floors. 

 The frames are placed 6 inches (vertical) apart, and mounted 

 in such a manner as to leave wedge-shaped spaces (see Fig, 

 68) between the column and the kiln wall on the]one hand 

 and between the former and the charging space on the other, 

 so as to ensure regular distribution of the heated air. This 



