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Prof. R. W. Atkinson. 



underground passages, only one of which is used during the summer, 

 as very little hoji is made during that season. The height is rather 

 less than 4 feet, the breadth about 7 or 8 feet, and from the entrance, 

 reached by descending a vertical shaft, it extends about 25 or 30 feet 

 in one direction, then bends off nearly at right angles for about the 

 same distance. From the second passage two others extend, in the 

 same direction as the first, for about 30 feet. In these the temperature 

 of the air is highest. 



Except at the beginning of the season, no fire or heating arrange- 

 ment is used, but after being disused for a long time, the chamber 

 would be too cold, and would delay too long the formation of the 

 hoji. 



After the rice mixed with spores has been taken to the growing 

 chamber about 2 p.m. on the first day, it is thrown into a heap, covered 

 with mats, and left for one night. On the following day about noon 

 (second day) it is put into baskets, withdrawn from the chamber, and 

 sprinkled with water. At this time the temperature of various batches 

 which were examined varied between 75° F. and 79° F. When the 

 hoji is required for sake brewing this operation is omitted, and the 

 product is then called raw hoji (Jap. hi-koji). The common hoji, which 

 is prepared by sprinkling with water is, howeTer frequently bought by 

 the brewer for the purpose of mixing with the raw hoji. 



About 5 p.m. on the same day (second day) the rice is spread over 

 small wooden trays, and placed upon the floor of the growing chamber 

 underneath the trays which at this time contain nearly finished hoji. 

 The rice is spread out so that in no part is the layer of any thickness ; 

 the temperature, however, gradually rises during the night. A sample 

 of which the temperature was taken at 8 p.m. on the second day was 

 80° *6 F., the temperature of the air at the same time being 81° F. At 

 5 a.m. on the third day the workman re-enters the chamber for the 

 purpose of removing the trays of finished hoji, and of putting in 

 their place the trays containing the mixed rice and spores of the third 

 day. This mixture has at 5 a.m. a temperature a little higher than 

 that of the chamber ; the workman then collects the rice on each tray 

 into a small heap, and allows it to remain undisturbed till between 



9 and 10 a.m. The grains of rice on the morning of the third day 

 present a slightly woolly appearance, which shows that the spores have 

 already partly developed with the production of mycelial fibres. The 

 temperature rapidly rises; at 8 a.m. the temperature of the rice is 

 from 104° F. to 106° F., and it increases slightly until between 9 and 



10 a.m., when the workman works the rice over with his hands and 

 spreads it out to cool it. The temperature of the air during this time 

 remains tolerably constant, as will be seen from the details of the 

 observations given afterwards. 



When the rice has become cooler it is again heaped up on the trays 



