HARVESTING BARLEY 207 



Illinois, and extending to the last week of April and the first 

 half of May in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Dakotas. 

 Winter barley is usually sown in September or early October. 

 The proper depth for seeding varies somewhat with the con- 

 dition of the soil, but is about 2 or 3 inches. 



252. Harrowing. Barley, like the other small grains, is 

 seldom cultivated in any way. Beneficial results are some- 

 times obtained from cultivating drilled barley with the har- 

 row or the weeder, running these tools parallel to the drill 

 rows. This serves to break the crust which is likely to form 

 on the surface, lessens evaporation, and helps to keep down 

 weeds. Harrowing is especially beneficial in dry seasons or 

 in sections of slight rainfall. 



253. Irrigation. A large part of the barley produced in 

 the Rocky Mountain states is irrigated. The number of 

 irrigations and the depth of water to be applied varies with 

 different soils and seasons; but best results are usually ob- 

 tained from two irrigations, the first about the time the 

 heads begin to show, and the second when the grain is filling. 

 The total depth of water applied usually does not exceed 1 

 foot, though more may be necessary in sections where the 

 rainfall is particularly deficient. 



HARVESTING THE CROP 



254. Cutting and Shocking. As the appearance of the 

 grain largely governs the market value of barley, it should 

 be carefully harvested and stored. The proper time to cut 

 this crop is when the grain is in the hard dough stage. If cut 

 earlier, the quality is injured by shrinking, while, if cut later, 

 part of the crop will be lost from shattering. The usual 

 method of cutting is with the binder, though the header and 

 the combined harvester are sometimes used in the dry sec- 

 tions of the Pacific and Rocky Mountain states. After 

 the bundles have dried out somewhat, they should be set up 

 in good shocks and carefully capped to protect as much of 



