570 
Management of Hops. 
to the space within ; others two or three fires, placed at regular 
distances in the same way ; some are with an arch 6 feet high 
and 3 wide, extending two-thirds of the way across the circle, 
with a fireplace at each side and one at the end ; others have only 
one fire at the end of the arch, and then the arch should extend 
only about one-third across the circle. There is also what is called 
the inner circle, which is a second circle built within the other 
with brick, to about the height of 3^ to 4 feet, leaving a clear 
space of 3 feet or more between the inner and outer circles ; the 
former above the brickwork being quartered and plastered, leaning 
out all around, reaching the outer wall just under the hair, form- 
ing as it were a hopper around the upright brickwork : the fire- 
places are made round the outside of the inner circle, two, three, or 
four, as may be thought best, but three is most general ; the only 
entrance to the hopper being a small hole sufficient for a man to 
get out and in to clean it out, which is closed when the hops are 
drying ; the air here enters through holes around the bottom 
of the outer circle and through the fires of the inner one, when it 
becomes heated and passes through the hops. The inner circle 
is a somewhat more expensive building; and although it is a very 
good plan, I do not know that it is better than the arch or those 
that are open to the space within. It will be well here to state 
that where there is only one fire it is quite requisite to have 
a broad iron plate, either suspended or resting on open brick- 
work over the fire, to keep the heat spread, and to prevent the 
fire being too fierce to that part of the hair immediately above it; 
for, as there is but one fire to a circle of 16 or 18 feet diameter, 
which will take 200 or 250 bushels of hops at a time, it must of 
necessity be a large one to dry them. It is a very good precau- 
tion, although not so absolutely necessary, to have horses or hogs 
(as these plates, resting upon open brickwork, are called) over 
the fires, wtien there are three to the same space; it is a safe- 
guard, and can do no harm ; the plate should be at a distance of 
2 or 3 feet from the fire. Of all the foregoing plans I am not 
able to say which is the best; but that neither of them will 
succeed equally well in all places and at all times I can assert; 
there is a great deal depending on the local situation of the oast- 
house with regard to other buildings, trees, hedges, banks, or any- 
thing that may obstruct a free circulation of air when the wind is 
at any particular point, and even as relates to the situation of the 
oasts or kilns themselves in respect to each other. If a new 
oasthouse is to be built, it should be placed to avoid having any 
thing to obstruct a free circulation of air around it, but not in a 
too open or exposed situation : and with respect to the situations 
of the kilns with regard to each other, and to the stowage or 
cooling-rooms, the plan following — of which I know of two or three 
