THE CULTIVATOR. 
93 
2. Having made the central and exterior drains, proceed to clear 
the surface of the ground of bushes and logs; and as there are 
represented to be no large trees, take up roots and all, which will 
be literally paring it, as the roots, in such situations, spread near 
the surface. The best instrument to effect this is a broad edged 
grubbing hoe ; and if the ground is sufficiently firm, the work may 
be greatly facilitated by a yoke of oxen, which with a chain fasten¬ 
ed around the bushes will pull up large masses at a haul, 1 should 
not think it would cost more than lour or five dollars an acre to 
perform this operation ; but if it costs double this, the money is well 
laid out. Where the growth is dense, there will be no difficulty 
in burning over the whole surface, which is desirable; the fire 
will contribute amazingly to ameliorate the soil, and with the ashes 
probably fit it for a first crop, which may be put in, with grass seed, 
with a harrow. There is no danger of injuring such a soil by burn¬ 
ing, except in unusual dry weather. Its fault is an excess of vege- 
taole matter. 
3. If draining, paring, and burning do not induce fertility, and a 
wholesome vegetation, which however they probably will do, lime, 
or unfermented manure, or sand, may be employed to bring on a 
fermentation. The quantity of these required will depend upon 
the quality of the vegetable matter,—the finer this, and the freer 
it is from woody matter and moss, the less will be required. If 
feruginous matter abounds, (oxide of iron) which is indicated by a 
red colour, lime will answer the further purpose of destroying its 
baleful effects. Experiment can only determine the quantity of 
either that will be wanted, though we think neither of them will 
be required, where there is already a dense growth of alders 
and scattering soft maples. Next to lime, unfermented manure 
will best facilitate decomposition. The lime should only be har¬ 
rowed upon the surface; the manure should be buried with the 
plough. 
4. Grasses will constitute the best crop for some years, and per¬ 
haps permanently, with an occasional alternation of tillage crops ; 
and indeed we have little doubt that many of these will spring up 
spontaneously and abundantly, when the surface has been burnt, 
particularly the white and red top, and other of the agrostic fami¬ 
ly, and also the poas. Of tilled crops, oats and potatoes, and 
wliere dung is employed, Indian corn, I have found to do best in 
reclaimed swamps. When properly drained, the vegetable mass 
soon begins to decompose and become compact, and the latter is 
aided much by the tread of cattle dispastured upon it. The grass¬ 
es which come in spontaneously embrace some of the most nutri¬ 
tious kinds. I had two acres of this kind of land, which has been 
drained some years, in potatoes in 1833. This spring I had omitted 
to put in a crop till I found it was likely to be coated with grass, 
which I suffered to grow, and ten days ago cut from it more 
than an ordinary crop of good hay, although no seed had been 
sown. 
Miscellaneous. What are called carses in Scotland, were origi¬ 
nally very similar to the Tonawanda swamps, with a sub-soil of clay, 
They are now rated best lands ; and the vegetable matter having 
been principally decomposed, or blended with the earths, the soil 
has become firm and tenacious, so as to admit of under-draining 
with great benefit. Vast areas of bog, moss and fen lands have 
been reclaimed, and are now being reclaimed, in Scotland and Ire¬ 
land by draining and paring and burning, though at great expense, 
yet with great ultimate profit. In some instances in this country, 
where the large roots and stumps have been got rid of, the scraper 
has been successfully used to throw swamp lands into ridges, and 
in excavating the drains. 
Albany , August 11, 1834. 
Dear Sir —Agreeable to your request, I send you some account 
of the method of curing hops, are practised by the most successful 
persons I have known in that business, and also take the liberty of 
pointing out some of the common faults our western and eastern 
hop raisers fall into. There are so very few hops that are brought 
to our market of a prime quality, which makes it one of the most 
disagreeable tasks to select a supply, from the large quantities that 
are offered for sale ; and it is truly lamentable to see the immense 
sacrifice of property from the want of care or skill in their manage¬ 
ment. 
It may not be improper to premise, that hops, to be productive 
require a rich soil, an airy situation, as well as occasional manur¬ 
ing ; even the best lands ought to have, every two or three years 
at farthest, from thirty to forty loads of well rotted barn yard ma¬ 
nure to the acre : and although the wild hop is generally found on 
the banks near water, yet hops thrive well on almost any good land 
if properly attended to. 
The time of picking hops varies—light soils or elevated and dry 
situations are earliest; even in a yard of a few acres, situated on 
a side hill, the highest ground is often ready for picking some days 
before the lower ; and sometimes from the poverty of the land, the 
middle, or it may be, the lower part is ripe first. In commencing 
picking, too much care cannot be taken in gathering those first 
that are ripe, and not in picking those that are largest, as is often 
the case. The time of picking may be known by their change of 
colour, from deep green to a light yellow tinge. If they have seeds, 
the hop ought to be gathered as soon as the seed turns brown ; but 
the certain indication of picking time, to those who are familiar 
with this article, is when the lupulin, or small globules of the bright 
yellow resin, are completely formed in the head of the hop, at the 
bottom of the leaves, and the leaves are readily rubbed from the 
stem. The lupulin (or flower of the hop as it is commonly called) 
is the only valuable part, and if gathered too early, before it be¬ 
comes perfect turpentine, it soon dissipates and loses its fine aro¬ 
matic flavor and all its medicinal qualities. Hence, gathering hops 
too soon is a total loss, and instead of imparting a palatable, plea¬ 
sant flavor, and giving its fine tonic balsam to ale, they are unques¬ 
tionably an injuiry, and ought not to be used; and if gathered too 
late, the lupulin drops out, and the hop is of no value; but the ex¬ 
perienced cultivator takes the medium, commences when the hop is 
first ripe; has every thing prepared—his hands, kilns, baskets, bag¬ 
gings, &c. Five or six days ought to finish the whole process of 
picking and curing, if his yards ripen about the same time. The 
hop should be picked clean, without leaves or stems, and if possible 
without dew on them, nor pressed to close nor put in too large quan¬ 
tities, before going on the kiln, or they will heat. No rule can be 
given for the thickness they ought to be spread on the kiln, or even 
for the length of time necessary to dry them. A skilful operator 
is the only safety in this process. Care ought to be taken that the 
kiln draws well, as much depends upon its draft—the steam 
should not be allowed to fall back on the hops, and must pass off 
freely. 
Preparatory to putting the hops on the kiln, it must have a fire 
put in, made perfectly dry, and fumigated by burning brimstone to 
take away all the bad smell, and when perfectly sweet, a layer of 
hops put on, say eight or ten inches deep, and this may be increased 
or lessened as the operator finds the draft. The time used in 
drying will also depend on the quantity of hops on the kiln, and on 
the draft, say from eight to sixteen hours; but they must not be 
removed from the kiln, until the core or stem of the hop is crisp 
and well dried, they must then be put upon a floor, and occasion¬ 
ally turned, until the leaf becomes tough, when they are ready for 
bagging. 
The fuel used for drying, must be of the sweetest kind, and per¬ 
fectly charred, and the best is beech, birch, hickory or maple. Pine 
may not be used under any circumstances, nor any brimstone, only 
as before directed. When the fire is once put to a kiln of hops, it 
must never be permitted to slacken or go out, until they are dried. 
The fire shoiqd never be so hot as to burn or leave the least taint 
of fire on them. 
I would suggest to all our hop raisers a system to be adopted and 
never deviated from —that is to divide very carefully the hops into 
three equal parts or parcels, the first, second and last pickings.— 
If six days are consumed in picking, let the hops of the two first 
days, the third and fourth days, and the two last days, be kept se¬ 
parate, bagged and marked; each parcel will by this method be 
more valuable to the brewers, and enhance the price of those 
that should thus be brought to market if skilfully picked and cured. 
It would also be a good regulation, to have all our hop raisers put 
as near as may be, 220 pounds in each bag, and have all the bags 
of about one size, say five feet long, two feet wide, and eighteen 
inches thick—this would be more convenient for the Jbrewer, but 
particularly so for shipping; and should we be so fortunate as to 
rescue our hops from their present degraded condition, they will 
soon be one of our principal articles of commerce. In a letter I 
received a few days since from a Havre merchant, he remarks, “ the 
American hops are of all qualities, from the Vorgue refuse, to the 
delicious fragrant German ; and if you could establish for yours 
the reputation of the latter, they would command the market.”— 
