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THE FARMER'S MAGAZliNE. 



other varieties ; besides, the straw of the Chevalier 

 is very superior. A common error on high-farmed 

 land where grass seeds are sown is the allowing of 

 too much seed. The quantity should not exceed, 

 for broadcast, nine pecks per acre. Next to com- 

 mon barley, Chevalier occupies the largest breadth, 

 and is gradually extending from the best-cultivated 

 districts into the most backward. 



Annat barley — selected in Perthsire in 1830 by 

 the late Mr. A. Gorrie. The straw is about the 

 same length and strength as the Chevalier, with a 

 tendency to a purple tinge, particularly at the 

 joints; grain, round and plump, like the Chevalier 

 — of a bright yellow colour. The weight of bushel, 

 with produce, similar to those of the Chevalier. 

 Some growers have found this variety more deli- 

 cate than the Chevalier, and abandoned its culti- 

 vation on this account. Annat barley occupies the 

 third place. 



Western barley — evidently a variety of the Cheva- 

 lier, introduced into East-Lothian shortly after the 

 Chevalier. It is now little cultivated. 



Italian barley. — The straw long and of a bright 

 golden colour ; ears shorter than the Chevalier, 

 with the grains more compact and pointed out- 

 wards. This, also a two -rowed variety, yields a 

 large plump grain of a bright light yellow colour. 

 It is somewhat later than the Chevalier; its culti- 

 vation has not extended, and is now much re- 

 stricted ; itjis generally known by the term " golden 

 barley." It does not succeed well in cold wet 

 seasons. 



Silesian barley. — A variety introduced into 

 Leith from Silesia about 18 years ago; is in partial 

 cultivation in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh; 



straw shorter than the Chevalier, bearing a close 

 resemblance to common Scotch barley, the weight 

 per bushel rather exceeding that of common barley ; 

 grain somewhat long in form ; colour a dark shade 

 of yellow. It is stated to be prolitic, and better 

 adapted for late districts than the Chevalier, It 

 has been successfully grown at 800 or 900 feet 

 above the level of the sea, and yielded 8 qrs. per 

 acre, of good weight. 



Saale barley — Introduced 18 years ago. A 

 beautiful clear-skinned, small-grained variety ; did 

 not generally answer expectation; but occasionally 

 fair crops have been raised. 



Lincoln barley. — Introduced about 30 years 

 ago; was found to produce long straw, with a 

 fine-formed ear ; period of ripening, about fourteen 

 days behind common barley ; its cultivation was 

 dropped mainly from lateness of ripening. The 

 quality of the grain also appeared to deteriorate 

 when grown in Scotland. 



Norfolk barley. — A variety of English called 

 white Norfolk was very much grown in some parts 

 of the Lothians before the introduction of Cheva- 

 lier; by continued cultivation it lost its distinguish- 

 ing characteristics, and latterly it did not push the 

 ear fully out of the shot-blade. It was in request 

 with the maltsters when first introduced. 



Naked barley has been experimented with ; but 

 from the general dislike to this variety by maltsters, 

 it is now seldom met with. Tsvo varieties have been 

 experimented with — one termed Siberian, the 

 other Nepaul. Both appear to be the same 

 variety, and stated to be in cultivation in the Hima- 

 layas, where sometimes two crops are grown in a 

 season. — North British Agriculturist. 



THE ADVANTAGE OF AUTUMN CULTIVATION FOR ROOT CROPS. 



WINFRITH farmers' CLUB. 



The monthly meeting of the members of this 

 club was held at the Bear Inn, Wool, on the last 

 "Wednesday in March, the subject being " Autumn 

 Cleaning of Stubbles." 



Mr. Darby, of Lytchett, said he thought the 

 subject which he had the honour of introducing 

 to to their notice that evening was of the 

 very greatest importance. They all knew 

 very well that good and proper cultivation of the 

 land ranked the very highest, and always had 

 ranked the highest, of all agricultural questions. 

 In fact, the ancient writers told them how high it 

 was in the estimation of the Romans. When one 

 of them was asked what was the first principle in 

 farming, he replied, " Arare" — that is, to plough ; 

 and when asked what was the second, his answer 

 was the same, " Arare." Dr. Lyon Playfair, in his 

 admirable essay on cultivation, in " Morton's En- 

 cyclopaedia," placed in a like prominent position 

 the proper working of the land. He states that the 

 main conditions of cultivation required to be ful- 

 filled are — first, a thorough pulverization and 

 drainage of the soil ; second, a progressive chemi- 

 cal disintegration or liberation of insoluble ingre- 



dients; and third, a renewal, by means of manure, 

 of those substances which have been removed from 

 the soil by successive crops. They would perceive 

 that he placed good manuring last, after good 

 cultivation. They all knew, however, that it was 

 necessary for both to go hand in hand; but in a 

 great variety of soils, especially the richest, good 

 cultivation ranked higher than good manuring. 

 Now, the question under consideration was not, as 

 it would appear at the first glance, confined to the 

 cultivation of one single crop. They all knew that 

 it was to the root crop they looked for that primary 

 cultivation, that foundation of good farming, which 

 was to follow throughout the rotation. The root 

 crop was, in other words, the cultivation crop ; and 

 the success or otherwise of the whole rotation 

 depended upon whether the root crop was put in well 

 or ill — whether the work was carried out early, and 

 clean cultivation proceeded with, so that the crop 

 might be put in properly, or whether a contrary 

 course was pursued. Thus it would be seen that it 

 was the question of cultivation, as a whole, that they 

 had to consider. Now, they all very well knew 

 what the old system of preparing for root crops 



