Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-01-21

and sweat in a few hours. The floor
of the hop house platform is made OF
open Stats, instead Of close boards, In
order to facilitate the circulation Of
air among the sacks of green hops
standing upon it. The sacks, when
standing upon the platform waiting
for the kiln, should be opened, and
the =,cks themselves should be made
of be lightest burlaps, not heavier
than II ounces TO the yard.
DRYING THE HOPS.
A great deal depends upon the
proper drying of the hops, as little
carlessness will destroy half their wall
ne. If over dried or scorched, not
sufficiently bleached, or bleached too
much. their value is, to a greater or
less extent, destroyed; and, if not
dried enough, they are liable to heat
and sweat from natural causes which
partially, if not wholly destroysthem.
The process Of drying requires the
exercise OF unremitting attention,
and a good deal of sound judgement;
and upon its success depends the reN
suits and profits of the whole seasons
labor. No matter how clean the
yard may have been kept, how care.
fully the vines may have been trains
ed now rapidly and properly picked,
and how neatly bailed, if they are
not cured just as they ought to be-
If not quite enough, or little too
much is done,-the whole seasons
labor comparatively speaking, comes
to naught.
The green hops should be spread
upon the kiln to depth OF II inches,
although in case of emergency,
they can be spread TO depth OF Is IN
ches. A 20x30 fl. kinis worked to the
best advantage with from $1,000
boxes. 1t should be stated right
here, that the hop-grower should ei>
the" ran one kiln or two kilns in
twenty >four hours, and make his cal
cuIatlons Tor picking accordingly, so
as not to have the hops picked faster
than lac can dry them. If one kiln
only is dIied per dem it is more adj
vantagous TO dry them At night, as
the hops picked early in the morn
ing. cannot generally speaking, be
kept in the sacks until the next morn.
morning without spelling When
two kilns are dried. the kins are put
on at noon and at midnight. They
should be spread on the kiln ut
uniform depth, and should never be
stepped on, as it packs them so close
tLat the hot air cannot circulate free
~ among them. If necessary to pass
from one kiln to another while the
green hops are on it, the feet should
be very carefully pushed down to the
kiln,cloth; and slide along it as the
person advances, without the feet
being lifted up,
When the hops are spread, TIE fire
is kindled in the hop>stove, very
moderately at first, and increased
gradually, SO as to get the whole
mass warmed thoroughly before
high degree OF heat is reached, be>
cause, ii the heat is too intense before
the upper hops are heated, they will
not allow the steam to escape, and
the lower ones will scorch About
an hour and half should be en-
ployed in raising the thermometer
inside the kiln $50 degrees. 1t
should never advance above 40 de-
grees, and should be maintained at
130(0l40 degrees until the upper hops
is thoroughly dried, In order to ass
certain this, examine the cores in a
handful Of hops and if nearly all
are dry and why, the kiln is ready
to run off. If the kiln is to be imme-
diately used, they can be showed out
into a store-room to cool; but, as il
is best to disturb them as little as
possible while warm, it is advisable,
if the kiln is not required for imme~
date use, to allow them to remain
until the kiln is needed, If they arc
showed into the storo-room to cool,
they should be spread around on the
floor to a uniform depth.
During the drying process it is Gus
tomary to burn birthstone in the
stove-room ASH sfumes bleech out the
rusty spots on other leaves, and also
loosen up and expand the hops, aud
thus facilitate the drying When
the kiln has become thoroughly heats
ed up, at the expiration of an hour
and half from the time of firing up,
and when the heat has been raised
10 about 1870 degrees, half pound
o. birthstone to each ten boxes on
the kiln should be burned 10 an open
iron vessel on tho stove After the
fumes have passed away sufficiently
- n nt a nr IL
kiln, if there are any considerable
number of the hops still rusty, half
as much more should be burned
But no more birthstone than this
three uarters Of a pound to each ten
boxes u hops on the kiln should be
used, as too much birthstone impairs
the flavor They should be of a green
lsh straw color, and if this color can
be reached with the use of half
pound Of birthstone to each ten box>
es, no more should be used
When removed from the kiln. the
hops should always be allowed as
much air as possible, but shielded
away from the rays Of the sun, which
fade them. They should be handled
as niue as possible, as they sell best
when unbrokcn.
Il thoroughly dried, they will DO
ready for baiing in four or five days,
but should not be baled SO soon, TN
less absolutely necessary, although
they should not be allowed to lie. over
ten weeks without being baed, as
they loose strength rapidly by ovap-
grafton.
As long as lying in a pile in the
store>room, they should be examin~
ed from time, to ascertain that they
are not disposed to heat and sweat,
and, if they are found 20 be SO dis
posed, they should be shoveled over
gently, in order to give them air.
About nine TO eleven hours are re-