250 HOPS. 



bag or " hop pocket " is kept open at the mouth by means of 

 an iron ring, and is lowered down through a suitable hole in 

 the flooring, so as to hang free. The bagger then descends 

 into the pocket and treads down the hops, which are 

 shovelled in at intervals from the storage floor. When full, 

 the mouth of the pocket is sewn up, the package marked, 

 and conveyed to a dry storehouse. Treading tends to break 

 the cones, but this can be avoided by using a press, which is 

 forced down on the hops after each few shovels-full have 

 been thrown into the pocket. This plan is particularly 

 advisable when the hops are bagged direct from the kiln, 

 i.e., in a very dry and brittle condition. 



Carelessness, in bagging damp hops, may lead to very 

 serious loss for the grower, since damp hops soon heat in the 

 pocket and turn mouldy if not looked after in time, their 

 colour and aroma being damaged, and in fact their value not 

 improbably ruined altogether. The evil consequences of 

 spontaneous heating being known, it is highly advisable to 

 test the temperature of the bagged hops from time to time, 

 a thing easily done by driving a long steel needle in as far as 

 the centre of the pocket and drawing it out at intervals for 

 examination, an idea of the internal temperature being gained 

 from the heat of the metal. If the pocket is found to be hot 

 it must be re-opened and the hops dried over again. Incon- 

 veniences of this kind, however, are avoided by careful super- 

 vision on the part of the experienced grower. 



Peincipal and Subsidiary Utilisation of Hops and 

 Hop Gardens. 



The main utilisation of the hop garden consists in the 

 gathering of the cones for brewing purposes. In addition to 

 this several subsidiary benefits are obtainable, to which a 

 short reference will now be made. 



