Breeds of Sheep best adapted to different Localities. 453 



looked forward to, as the arid nature of down pastures forbids 

 such a result; a lengthened quality possessing fineness of staple, 

 so as to obtain an enhanced price per lb., with no great addi- 

 tional weight of fleece, is what must be aimed at. For moun- 

 tain sheep none equal the Herdwick, of which sufficient has 

 already been said. On rough pastures exposed to cold and wet, 

 yet not partaking of the nature of heath, the Cotswold will be 

 found well adapted, as also on wet, cold, impervious clays; the 

 Cheviots possess a somewhat similar character. 



XXII. — On the Management of Barley. By Hall W. Keary. 



Prize Essay. 



Barley, unlike the more valuable grain, wheat, can only be 

 grown successfully upon certain soils, and under certain circum- 

 stances adapted to its culture ; for while the latter may be sown 

 with advantage upon almost every variety of land, and under 

 apparently disadvantageous circumstances, the former, that is to 

 say, the finest malting samples, cannot be produced in perfection 

 without great care and management in the preparation of its seed- 

 bed. The time of sowing and variety of seed are also important 

 considerations ; I propose therefore to treat this subject under the 

 following three heads, those pointed out by the Society, viz. :— 



1st. The preparation of the land. 



2nd. Advantages and risks of early sowing. 



3rd. Different varieties of seed as suited to various situations. 



Upon the proper preparation of the land depends most 

 materially the quality, even more perhaps than the quantity of 

 the future crop ; and although the finest samples of barley are 

 only produced on soils generally known as decidedly barley 

 lands, yet even on these the greatest difference is often seen in 

 the same season, and with other circumstances alike, when dif- 

 ferent systems of tillage have been adopted ; I shall now 

 endeavour to describe the different modes of growing barley 

 which have come under my observation in various districts of the 

 kingdom. In several of the Midland counties there are fine 

 deep loams upon gravel, and also upon clay, which produce very 

 bold heavy barley, although it cannot be said to hold for malting 

 purposes the first place in the London market. The usual sys- 

 tem followed in those districts, upon what are termed turnip and 

 barley soils, is to sow barley after turnips, which have previously 

 been wholly or partially fed off by sheep. The firm and beaten 



vol. X. 2 H 



