262 



Cultivation of the Hop Crop. 



[June, 



CULTIVATION OF THE HOP CROP. 



V.— PICKING, DEYING AND PACKING OF HOPS. 



PAKT II. 



Arthur Amos, M.A , 

 School of Agriculture, Cambridge. 



Hop Kilns. — Hops are dried in buildings which are called hop- 

 kilns, several of which may be grouped together around a central 

 cooling and packing floor. The collection of these buildings is 

 called a hop " oast." The kilns in this country are generally 

 constructed with brick walls, although in the Western States of 

 America, where lumber is cheap, they are commonly built of 

 wood. The roofs may be covered with tiles or slate and ceiled 

 inside "with plaster to make them air-tight, or alternatively may 

 be covered with felt which is tarred annually for the same 

 purpose. 



Fig. 1 represents diagrammatically an open fire kiln such 

 as is most commonly used in this country; such kilns may be 

 circular or square, the former is rather more economical to build, 

 but the latter is more convenient for use. The most convenient 

 size is probably 18 feet square or 20 feet in diameter, with walls 

 18 to 20 feet in height, so that the drying floor, which is fixed 

 about 4 feet below the top of the wall, may be at least 12 feet 

 above the top of the fires. The floor consists of wooden joists 

 and battens upon wdiich is stretched a horse-hair cloth, resistant 

 to the effects of heat ; upon this the hops are spread for drying. 



The roof slopes upwards from the top of the walls to an open- 

 ing 3 feet or so in diameter. Above this opening is fitted a 

 cowl C, swinging freely upon well-oiled bearings, so that each 

 change in the direction of the wind causes it to swing round 

 and allow a free escape of the air through its opening. The 

 height of the cowl from the hair should be as great as possible 

 (16 ft. to 18 ft.). 



The fireplace or places are generally raised about 18 in. above 

 the ground floor and are built to one of the outside walls so that 

 they can be stoked from outside the kiln. 



Hot- Air or Stove Kilns. — In normal hop drying the products of 

 the coal fires must pass through the hops: any smoke, which 

 may be produced, thus causes a taint in the hops, consequently 

 only the best anthracite coal is permissible and this is expensive. 



