THE FARMER'S MAtiAZINE. 



533 



PREMIUMS FOR BARLEY. 



The third annual adjudicatiou of prize cups offered by Messrs. 

 Blizard Brothers aud Godsall, for competition iu barley- 

 growing, took place ou Wednesday, May 11, (Fair day), at the 

 Black Bear Inn, Tewkesbury, iu the presence of a numerous 

 assemblage of agriculturists and corn merchants. 



Amongst the toasts at the dinner, the Chairman (Mr. 

 Woodward) gave the Health of the Donors of the Cups. He 

 said they had shown au example of what might be done by 

 encouraging competition. As eminent maltsters, they were 

 desirous of procuring the best barley that could be obtained 

 for their manufacture, and in consequence of their liberal 

 offer of these prize cups, the very finest samples had been 

 brought to them for sale. Having thus obtained the best 

 barley, they had naturally been able to produce the best inalt, 

 and as a consequence to obtain the best prices for it. He had 

 the satisfaction of statiug tiiat a lot of malt (500 quarters), 

 Bold by Messrs. Blizard iu Londou lately, had realized the 

 highest price of the season, aud also that iu Liverpool they had 

 met with similar success. The Severn valley was the warmest 

 valley in England, and therefore admirably fitted for the 

 growth of barley ; aud Messrs. Blizard, iu having given an 

 impetus to its culture, and thus caused an improvement, were 

 entitled to their warmest thanks. 



Mr. Geo. Blizakd, the senior partner, replied. The prize 

 cups they had offered had produced, as was intended, a double 

 advantage— first to the farmer, who was induced to produce a 

 better article and obtain a better price ; aud next, to themselves 

 as maltsters, who were enabled to get the best kind of grain 

 for their mauufacture. The cultivation of barley had, in 

 former years, undoubtedly been neglected: a stimulant 

 had been applied, aud as a proof of its effect he would point 

 to the samples of that day, which he firmly believed could not 

 be equalled in auy town iu England. Undoubtedly some of 

 that success was due to the premiums offered in those cup3> 

 for Englishmen were fond of eiaulatiou, aud if one farmer v/as 

 able to ihow a particularly good sample, others would be sure 

 to try to equal it. Mr. Blizard theu referred to some remarks 

 he had made last year relating to the machines used for dressing 

 the bark} . He regretted that the evil still continued ; the 

 grain was broken at the ends, aud gave out a blue mould 

 which rendered it totally unfit for malting. He had proposed, 

 with others, to offer a prize of £50 for such improvemeuts in 

 the machines as should obviate this evil ; nothing, however) 

 had as yet been done in it, but he trusted that agricultural 

 machinists would give attention to the subject, aud that before 

 long the difficulty would be overcome. 



Mr. Butt, iu replying for the unsuccessful candidates, 

 remarked that the difficulty of improving the machines so as 

 to avoid breaking the grains of barley was very great ; it had 

 been accomplished, but at the expense of the straw, which was 

 30 injured that it could not be made into boltings. However, 

 he had no doubt that in time it would be managed, and that 

 Mr. Blizard's aud the maltstera' cause of complaint would be 

 remedied. 



Mr. Rice, iu response for the judges, said they felt surprise 

 that the clay laud had won the prize ; but it was a fact that the 

 aand barleys were burnt up last year, which of course accounted 



for it. There had been 60 samples from Gloucestershire, 

 Worcestershire, and Herefordshire sent in ; and 10 from Berks 

 and Wilts. In the course of their examination the samples of 

 Mr. J. Creese and Mr. G. Woodward stood well for a long 

 time, but at the conclusion they were bound to admit that those 

 of the Rev. W. Parker for the former counties, aud of Mr. 

 W. H. Gillett, of Swindon, for the latter, were the beat. 



The Chairman iu a-jkuowledging a compliment paid to 

 himself, said barley growiug was a most uncertain operation for 

 the farmer, for the plant itself was the most delicate of all 

 the grains. He had in the course of his practice tried deep 

 and shallow planting for it, and was satisfied that deep planting 

 was wrong. Barley could not long sustain damp, and would 

 at a depth of three inches turn ye'.low, and form new roots. 

 Even in drilling, when the drill was held up ou one side, and 

 depressed on the other, the seed might be deposited three 

 inches deep in one furrow, and only one inch in the other, and 

 the effect would be visible all through the field, the shallow- 

 planted seed being much more healthful aud productive than 

 the other. He had not been a successful competitor for the 

 Cup, for his last year's barley had been too much in quantity 

 to be of the highest quahty, and no cue could obtain both ad- 

 vantages at the same time. 



Messrs. Blizard iiiteud to offer a cup for competition for 

 barley of this year's growth, which will be open to All Eng- 

 land. — Abridged from the Tewkesbury Record. 



HADLEIGH FARMERS' CLUB.— The annual meeting 

 of this society came off on May 13. The exhibition of stock 

 took place iu a large meadow near Toppesfield Bridge, aud pre- 

 sented as usual some splendid specimens of Suffolk horses. 

 Sir C. S. Rowley, Bart., carried off the first prize for the best 

 stallion for general agricultural purposes; Mr. M. R. Pock- 

 liugton, for the best brood mare ; Mr. K. C. Perry, for the 

 beat gelding ; Mr. J. Vince, for the best ghast mare ; Mr. B. 

 AUeu, for the best colt under 27 mouths old ; Mr. J. Par 

 tridge, for the best gelding for the general purposes of agricul- 

 ture under 29 months; Mr. B. Allen, for the best filly ditto; 

 Messrs. R. aud J. Raud, for the best colt or gelding under 15 

 mouths, and for the best filly ditto ; Mr. W. Strutt, for the 

 best bull of any breed ; Mr. T. White, for the best Suffolk 

 cow; Mr. W. Strutt, for the best cow of any other breed; 

 Mr. J. G. Stow, for the best fat steer or heifer ; Mr. Walker 

 Strutt, for the best shearling tup of any short-wool breed ; 

 Mr. Edward Cook, for the best ditto long-wool breed ; Messrs. 

 R. and J. Rand, for the best fine wether hoggett of any short- 

 wool breed ; Mr. J. G. Stow, for the best ewe hoggett ditto ; 

 Messrs. R. and J. Rand, for the best five wether aud the best 

 five hoggetts of long- wool breed, and for the best fleece of 

 hoggett short wool; Mr. Edward Cook, for the best fleece of 

 hoggett long wool ; Sir C. Royley, for the best boar ; and Mr. 

 J. Everett, for the beat breeding sow. In the evening nearly 

 nmety gentlemen dined together in the Town Hall, Sir C. 

 Rowley presiding. 



