182 THE SOILS AND CROPS OF THE FARM. 



greater the weight and the lighter the color, the higher 

 the grade. The best barley for feeding purposes is 

 the poorest for malting. As the price is fixed by the* 

 demand for malting, the best feeding barley is the 

 lowest in price. The price varies more with the grade 

 than is the case with any other cereal. 



The woight per bushel depends much upon the 

 thoroughness with which the beards are removed. To 

 accomplish this the grain is often ran through the 

 thrashing machine a second time. So important is the 

 weight that at elevators where much barley is 

 shipped special machinery is used for thoroughly 

 scouring and cleaning it. The legal weight in most 

 states is 48 pounds. The color is darkened by rains 

 or heavy dews after the barley is ripe. To produce a 

 high grade of barley it is important to get it dry and 

 in stack as soon as possible after cutting it. 



Climate.— Barley is successfully cultivated in a 

 wider range of climate than any other cereal. It is 

 cultivated from Iceland to semi-tropical California. 

 Although an important crop in Norway and Sweden, 

 it was formerly the bread plant of the people border- 

 ing on the Mediterranean Sea. It is said to grow at the 

 extreme north where the soil only melts a few inches 

 deep. It seems, however, to be best adapted to a 

 warm, dry climate. 



Professor Brewer shows that the greatest produc- 

 tion of barley is with a smaller amount of annual 

 rainfall, and also a smaller amount of rainfall during 

 the growing season, than in the case of any other 

 cereal. An abundance of rain, however, does not 

 deter it from successful growth, 



ISoil. — Whether the peculiar distribution of barley 



