204 FIELD CROPS 



diagram (Figure 78). It ranks next in importance in Min- 

 nesota, occupying about one fourteenth of the improved 

 farm area, or nearly half as much land as is annually sown to 

 oats in that state. In Wisconsin, the area sown to oats is 

 about three times as large as that sown to barley. Only 1.6 

 per cent of the entire farm area of the United States is de- 

 voted to barley, as compared with 22.1 per cent to corn, 10.4 

 per cent to wheat, and 8.0 per cent to oats. 



THE PRODUCTION OF THE CROP 



247. Soils Adapted to Barley Production. The best soil 

 for barley is a well-drained loam. Good drainage and a 

 reasonably fertile soil are essential to its successful growth. 

 It does not ordinarily do well on heavy clays nor on hght, 

 sandy lands. It is extensively grown on soils of a volcanic 

 origin in the Northwest. Barley grows better on alkali soils 

 than any of the other small grains, and is sometimes used 

 to reduce the quantity of soluble salts in the soil before sow- 

 ing to oats, alfalfa, or some other crop which is less resistant 

 to the injurious effects of these salts. 



248. Fertilizers and Manures. The best fertihzer for 

 barley is barnyard manure, particularly if this is applied to 

 some previous crop or is well-rotted. Barley can be grown 

 successfully on richer land than oats, but heavy fertilization 

 is likely to cause a rank growth of straw with a tendency to 

 lodge. As the roots of this crop do not penetrate as deeph^ 

 as those of oats or wheat, the surface soil should contain an 

 abundance of plant food. The yield of barley may be in- 

 creased by the use of green manure crops, such as cowpeas, 

 field peas, and the like, which add greatly to the vegetable 

 matter in the soil, increasing the water-holding capacity 

 and the supply of readily available plant food. On poor 

 soils where neither barnyard nor green manures are available, 

 beneficial results will be obtained from the use of commercial 

 fertilizers. The many feeding roots which barley throws 



