XXII. 



BARLEY. 



I. CULTURAL METHODS. 



456. Preparation of Seed Bed. — A well prepared seed bed is 

 desirable if not essential for barley. To this end the land should 

 be plowed and the seed bed deeply and thoroughly pulverized. 

 Fall plowing is preferable in order to secure early preparation 

 of seed bed and early seeding. The same principles apply to 

 depth of seeding as in wheat, oats and maize. The Minnesota 

 Station obtained higher yields from sowing three-fourths inch 

 deep than from deeper seeding, and one and one-half inches 

 than either deeper or shallower seeding in another instance.^ 

 At the Manitoba Station better results were obtained at two 

 inches than at shallower or deeper seeding.^ Much barley is 

 sown broadcast, although the Ontario Agricultural College has 

 found best results from drilling.^ For malting purposes it is 

 desirable that every plant be grown and matured under as uni- 

 form conditions as possible. Doubtless drilling will promote 

 this end. In some instances increased yields of grain have 

 been obtained by mixing barley with other grains, such as oats. 

 (404) In no case should two and six-rowed varieties of barley 

 be mixed if their crop is to be used for malting, because of dif- 

 ferent lengths of time required for germination. Barley may be 

 mixed with field peas in place of oats for sowing after July first, 

 because the former is better adapted to growing during the 

 warm weather. Early seeding of barley with field peas is less 



1 Minn. Buls. 31 and 40. 



2 Can. Expt. Farms Rpt. 1900. 



8 Ont. Agr. Col. and Expt. Farms Rpt. 1898. 



