246 The Irish Nahiralist, November, 



BARLKV-GROWING AND SELECTION IN IRELAND. 



BV HERBKRT HUNTRR, B.SC. 



After dealiug with the manner of origin of many of the varieties of 

 cereals which are to-day in cultivation and the methods of improvement 

 adopted by early workers, such as Le Conteur and Sherriff, the author 

 proceeded to describe some of the leading varieties of barley in use in 

 Ireland to-day. Some recent experiments in the cultivation of this cereal 

 carried out b}' the Department of Agriculture in Ireland were referred 

 to, and the main conclusions oi these investigations dealt with. The 

 special requirements of ])arley for malting purposes were described, 

 together with the effect of pure and mixed seed on the quality of the 

 produce. The author then proceeded to enumerate the various methods 

 adopted for the production of pure seed supplies, and showed bj' actual 

 examples from experimental single-ear cultivations of Old Irish 

 Chevallier and Archer varieties the existence of man\- closely related 

 strains of the same variety. The constancy of the characteristics of 

 each type was then dealt with, and their adverse influence on a pure- 

 seed suppl}' demonstrated. 



The existence of "quality" in barley as a specific character was 

 pointed out, and the possible lines of improvement indicated. 



As good "qualit)'" and high yield do not appear to be co-existent 

 in present-day varieties, selection of the forms possessing these 

 characteristics in the highest degree must eventually lead to hybrid- 

 isation. In all cases, however selection of varieties with demonstrated 

 characteristics must precede hybridisation, as this process results in 

 forms new rather in the combination of definite characters than in the 

 production of intensified ones. 



It was pointed out that, whether dealing with hybrids or pure natural 

 varieties, it is desirable to propagate seed for commercial purposes from 

 single grains or ears, as this method results in seed possessing a mini- 

 mum amount of variation in anv direction. 



SECTION H.— ANTHROPOLOGY. 



vSOMK REMARKS ON THE IRISH HOPSE AND ITS EARLY 



HISTORY. 



BY R. F. SCHARFF, PH.D., F.I,.S. 



That the modern Connemara pony possesses certain features of re- 

 semblance to Arab horses is well known, and has been recently 

 emphasised by Professor Ewart in his description of the various Irish 

 breeds of ponies. This character is currently believed to be due to a 

 comparatively recent introduction into Ireland of Eastern stock. 

 Professor Ridgeway not only puts the date of this introduction further 

 back, to pre-Christian times, he contends that these supposed Eastern 

 horses were imported from France, and were originally of Libyan 

 origin. 



