522 Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



It has been found necessary, however, to restrict the importation 

 of barley (not malt), for the purpose of preventing the introduction 

 of diseases, to small quantities for seed purposes, which can be 

 thoroughly disinfected on arrival. As the supply of barley for brewing- 

 is thus confined to the Union, it is necessary that every endeavour 

 should be made to continue to improve the standard of barley 

 grown, bearing in mind the requirements of the breweries as to 

 the quality of malting barley needed by them. To assist in this 

 direction, we publish the following hints to farmers on the growing 

 and harvesting of malting barley. This information, prepared 

 originallj^ by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, London, has 

 already been published in pamphlet form by one of the principal 

 breweries in South Africa, and the Department wishes to endorse the 

 advice contained therein and to impress upon farmers the need of 

 carefully following out the directions : — 



Growing and Harvesting. 



1. Till the ground as early as the condition of the soil will allow. 



2. Use the best, pure seed, free from smut. 



3. If the seed is bought or comes from a field that shows signs 

 of smut, it shoiild be treated with a half per cent, solution of copper 

 sulphate. 



4. The drills sliould not be too far apart (6 to 8 inches). 



5. Avoid sowing clover with barley. 



6. The Clievalier barleys are the best, but they require very care- 

 ful cultivation and good soil, and are especially sensitive to strong 

 nitrogenous manuring. 



7. Imperial barleys, therefore, should be preferred where the soil 

 is highly nitrogenous, or where, owing to unfavourable weather, the 

 Chevalier and other sorts may be expected to suffer from " lodging " 

 and damage to quality. 



8. For dry soils, the Hanna barleys are most suitable. These 

 barleys also deserve consideration for better soils on account of their 

 prolific yields. 



9. Brewing barleys require rich and easily assimilated stores of 

 plant food. 



10. This is supplied by heavy manuring with potash salts and 

 superphosphate. For light soils, potash is especially important. 

 Barley should be grown after hoed crops, not after leguminous plants. 



11. Great care is necessary in applying nitrogen, because nitrogen 

 makes the barley rich in albumen, and therefore of less value for 

 brewing purposes. The manuring and the production of the preceding 

 crop must be taken into consideration. The application of farmyard 

 manure should be avoided. 



12. The disadvantageous effect of nitrogen on the quality may be 

 largely controlled, to the advantage of the total yield, by heavy 

 manuring at the right time with potash and phosphoric acid, as well 

 as by careful cultivation. The potash should be put on early. 



13. The soil should be so prepared that the spreading of the 

 delicate roots of the barley may meet Avith little mechanical hindrance. 



