1835.] On Malt. 443 



on the external surface. Length of the spike 1*7 inch. 

 I have been favoured with the authority of an extensive 

 farmer for identifying this species with the Scotch bear. 

 " Bigg" says he, " has four rows on the head, two of which 

 are better than the others and contain also more grains. 

 Bear has six rows, is a strong coarse grain and may be easily 

 known after separation from the straw, by its thick husk 

 and long awn." The first of these distinctions may be a 

 tolerable criterion, but the latter is decidedly not so, be- 

 cause in Irish specimens which I possess, the awns of the 

 H. vulgar e are much longer than those of the H. hexastichon. 

 It is, therefore, a matter of great doubt whether in all cases 

 these species of grain can be distinguished after separation 

 from the straw. 



The correct discrimination of these species is of great im- 

 portance, because the quality of the malt is inferior in the 

 two latter. From the experiments made in 1806 by order 

 of Government, it appears that the value of barley is to bigg 

 as 100 to 89 J, taking the mean of the value of English and 

 Scotch barley as the standard ; but if we consider the Scotch 

 barley still as of inferior quality to the English, then the 

 relations will be as in 1806, English barley 100, Scotch 

 barley 93, Bigg 86; or the m&\t of bigg is 14 per cent, in- 

 ferior to that of English barley, and 7 per cent, inferior to 

 that of Scotch barley. Their relative values may, perhaps, 

 be better appreciated by attention to the product of spirit 

 derived from each. Thus the quantity of proof spirits per 

 quarter of each, is exhibited in the following table : 



Wine measure. Imperial measure. 

 English Barley . 20*76 gallons. 17-20 gallons. 

 Scotch Barley . 20*02 „ 16'70 „ 



Scotch Bigg . . 18-96 „ 15-72 „ 



They differ also in respect of weight, so that the quality 

 may be in some measure detected by this test. The average 

 weight of each kind of grain is represented as follows : 



lbs. avoird. Imperial measure. 



English Barley 49*871 per Winchester bushel. 51-444 

 Scotch Barley 49*754 „ 51*327 



Scotch Bigg. 47-352 „ 48-849 



From experiments, it appears that the grain does not 

 lose any weight by keeping. After an interval of six 

 months, the difference of weight scarcely ever amounted 



