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THE  TRIALS  OF  HOP-DRYING  PLANT,  1909. 
j ^ I Walter  R.  Elgar,  Sittingbourne,  Kent. 
,ju  ,ges  I Powell,  Lower  Wick,  Worcester. 
In  response  to  the  Society’s  offer  of  lOOZ.  as  a prize  for  the 
best  Hop-Drying  Apparatus,  there  were  four  entries,  viz.  : — 
Mr.  A.  F.  Partridge  .....  Leominster. 
Mr.  E.  G.  Shew  ......  Ledbury. 
Messrs.  Whiting  Bros.  ....  Faversham,  Kent. 
Messrs.  Williamson  & Allen  . . . Gloucester. 
In  the  Regulations  which  were  sent  to  the  several  com- 
petitors features  which  were  considered  of  special  importance 
were  set  out  as  follows  : — 
Efficiency  of  work. 
Adaptability  to  different  kinds  of  existing  oasts  (unless  the 
plant  is  self-contained). 
Facility  for  regulating  heat  and  draught,  also  for  cooling. 
Economy  of  working. 
Time  required  for  drying. 
Construction. 
Prime  cost. 
In  order  that  the  trials  should  be  as  complete  as  possible, 
it  was  arranged  that  they  should  be  continued  throughout  the 
whole  period  of  hop-drying,  and  during  that  period  each  kiln 
was  in  the  charge  of  two  observers,  who  kept  accurate  record 
of  all  that  transpired  at  each  casting,  including  such  items  as 
quantity  and  description  of  fuel  and  quantity  of  sulphur  used, 
temperature  at  different  times  and  at  different  parts  of  the  hair 
during  process  of  drying,  weight  of  green  hops  loaded  on  each 
kiln,  supervision  of  pressing  or  bagging  and  weighing  of  dried 
hops.  They  also  put  the  stamp  of  the  Society  upon  the 
pockets,  and  the  samples  were  drawn  in  their  presence,  so  that 
nothing  was  omitted,  that  experience  and  judgment  could 
foresee,  so  that  the  trials  should  be  of  a thoroughly  straight- 
forward and  practical  nature,  for  we  recognised  that  unless 
these  requirements  were  fulfilled  strictly  and  to  the  uttermost 
the  expectation  of  good  likely  to  follow,  as  a resiilt  of  the 
generous  prize  offered  by  the  Society,  would  be,  to  a large 
extent,  at  any  rate,  nullified. 
Before  starting  upon  our  judging,  a system  of  “ marks  ” 
was  agreed  upon,  with  the  proportionate  maximum  under 
various  headings. 
