438 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



break down easily and quickly is said to be free working and a grain 

 of which the reverse is the case is said to be stiff working," and this 

 condition is found to depend upon the "maturation" of the grain. A 

 rather low temperature which lengthens the ripening period, and cer- 

 tain atmospheric conditions between cutting and harvesting which 

 increase the mellowness of the grain, are considered preferable. 



Tests of good "maturation" by means of an instrument known as 

 Pohl's "Kornpriifer" are described. With this instrument the grains 

 are cut transversely and the fractured surfaces left exposed upon with- 

 drawal of the knife. By magnifying these surfaces the degree of "matu- 

 ration" is ascertained. The hard or "steely" grain seems to show the 

 cell walls inclosing the starch grannies while in grains ripened under more 

 favorable circumstances a mealy homogenous surface is presented which 

 is believed to indicate that the starch-containing cells have been rup- 

 tured. -'The matter of importance is that this difference corresponds 

 with the difference in the capacity of the endosperm to modification in 

 malting." The ways in which over-ripening, over-exposure in bad 

 weather, drought, and close thrashing may reduce the malting value 

 of barley are explained, but the opinion is expressed, however, that 

 recently the most serious defect of English barley has been deficient 

 maturation. 



Concerning the chemical composition it is stated that "in addition 

 to starch, and a small quantity of ready formed sugars, barley con- 

 tains .other carbohydrates, probably intermediate between sugar and 

 starch. . . . The proportion of nitrogenous matter to starch varies in 

 barley with different conditions somewhat differently from what it does 

 in wheat, but there is a general tendency in the same direction, and 

 the mellower barleys are usually the less nitrogenous ones." 



The article gives a detailed consideration of the experiments per- 

 formed at Rothamsted to ascertain the effect of different manurial con- 

 ditions on the malting quality of barley. The treatment of each field 

 and the results are described, and the records relating to the quality of 

 the produce are given. From the evidence it is concluded that potash 

 salts are only likely to affect the quality of the grain where the soil has 

 been previously exhausted of potash. Regarding the influence of 

 phosphoric acid it is quoted from Sir Henry Gilbert that phosphatic 

 manures on Rothamsted soils almost invariably have a favorable influ- 

 ence on the malting quality of the grain. The authors believe that 

 results from the Rothamstecl plats show that different manurial condi- 

 tions affect the malting quality of barley in as much as they affect the 

 "maturation" of the grain, and that when the}' increase the crop the 

 improvement in "maturation," or the reverse, is much affected by 

 atmospheric conditions. 



Another set of experiments for this purpose was conducted on the 

 Warminster plats. The results obtained in the experiments at both 

 places and the value of the malt from grain grown on the various 

 plats are given in tabular form for comparison. In the Kothamsted 



