FIELD CROPS. 1027 



thorpe. The Goldthoi'po types show greater tendenc_v to deterioration 

 than the Chevalier. On the other hand they possess a stouter straw 

 and have the ability to stand up under weather conditions that would 

 lodge Chevalier. A number of other subspecies and varieties of barley 

 are considered and some data and illustrations given of earh^ types of 

 barley. The wide- cared t^pe of barley is thought to be the older. 



Relative to the improvement of varieties of barley the author states 

 that — 



"the heavier the straw, the coarser and therefore the lower in value will be the 

 grain generally. A low ratio of grain to straw usually goes along with grain with 

 high content of nitrogenous matters and defective maturation. A large coarse grain 

 of high weight per bushel is not as good malting material as a smaller grain well 

 matured. In fact (given vitality) maturation is the most important quality of barley 

 from a malting point of view and generally with the varieties at present cultivated 

 the smaller grain is the better matured. If by means of selection or cross fertiliza- 

 tion varieties of larger body but maturing equally well can be secured, a great step 

 in advance will Vje made." 



The subject of maturation is considered at considerable length: 



"Maturation is jjhysiologii'ally a i)ost-ripening process, the character of which 

 depends largely on the preripening and this in turn on the soil conditions. Too 

 early ripening on thin soils, due to drought and too late ripening on strong soils, 

 both give a highly nitrogenous grain which will not mature well even under favora- 

 ble natural conditions and is always more or less steely and unworkable. Even 

 with well-ripened grain, maturation depends on sufficient time being allowed before 

 and after cutting, but above all on weather conditions." 



In the Rothamsted experiments with barle}^ the roots on certain plats 

 were unmanured. Other plats received superphosphate only, while 

 others received mixed minerals and nitrogenous material. The elfect 

 of these fertilizers on the barle}' crop are summarized as follows: 



"The good effect of soluble phosphates on (juality of grain is most marked. The 

 plats manured with minerals only have given the best yield of grain in i^roportion 

 to straw, showing the unmistakable effect of phosphates in assisting grain formation. 

 Thi-s series of plats also shows a lower percentage in the grain of nitrogenous matters 

 than ei-ther of the other series. The barley, though often comparatively small, is 

 well matured — better in this all-important respect than where no phospliates are 

 applied, and also better than where, with heavy nitrogenous dressings in addition to 

 minerals for the preceding roots, the land is in better condition and gives much 

 higher yields." 



There was not nmch difference as regards quality of barley whether 

 the roots in the rotation plats at Rothamsted were fed or removed, 

 though the yields were much heavier on the "'fed" plats. The matu- 

 ration of the grain was frequently, but not always, better where the 

 roots were removed. This difference was counterbalanced in a meas- 

 ure by the higher relative market value of the grain from the "fed" 

 plats. The general opinion that the feeding of roots on the land with 

 oil cake added to the ration is too good a preparation for barley, espe- 

 cially as regards the quality of the ])arley grown on such land, was not 

 controverted in these experiments. The authors believe that all the 



