214 



VJELB CROPSI 



Leaf rust and stem rust also do considerable damage, par- 

 ticularly in seasons favorable to their development. The 

 planting of early maturing varieties which ripen before rust 

 ordinarily becomes prevalent, and the use of well-drained 

 land for producing this crop are recommended as preven- 

 tives of rust injury. Powdery mildew sometimes occurs on 



barley, but it usually 

 does little damage. 



IMPROVEMENT OF THE 

 CROP 



271. Opportunities 

 for Improvement. Barley 

 can be improved by in- 

 creasing the yield, by in- 

 creasing the size and 

 plumpness of the indi- 

 vidual grains, and in other 

 ways. For malting, a low 

 protein content and a 

 high proportion of starch 

 are desired ; while for feed- 

 ing a high protein content 

 is wanted. It is possible to 

 produce strains by selec- 

 tion which are relatively 

 high or low in protein, 

 but this requires much 

 careful work and can 

 hardly be undertaken ex- 

 cept by professional plant 

 breeders. 



272. Methods of Improvement. The methods of improv- 

 ing barley are not different from those practiced with wheat 

 (Section 198) and oats (Section 239). Grading the grain 



Figure 77 — Smutted heads of barley. The 

 three upper ones, covered smut; the two 

 lower, loose smut. 



