FARM CROPS. 149 



wheat. The ends sought for are stiff straw, vigorous 

 growth, and productive varieties. 



In seeding barley, the first requisite is a thoroughly 

 prepared seed-bed. The root system of this cereal 

 being comparatively feeble, every advantage obtained 

 through good preparation is desirable. In spring 

 sown barley early seeding is a requisite to heavy 

 yield. The rate of seeding in general is eight pecks 

 per acre, although barley will permit of thicker seed- 

 ing than oats or wheat, since it tillers less freely than 

 these grains. Harvesting of barley differs in no par- 

 ticular from that of oats or wheat. Since a large part 

 of the barley crop is used for malting, greater care 

 should be exercised in handling the cut grain. 



Barley ranks fourth among the cereals in number 

 of bushels of grain produced in the United States. 

 The grain, however, is of less value than wheat or oats. 

 In yield barley has averaged a trifle above twenty-five 

 bushels per acre for the past ten years. This yield 

 is far too low, as is true with all the cereals produced. 

 Where weather conditions are favorable and where 

 the soil conditions are made as agreeable as possible, 

 yields of from 35 to 45 bushels per acre are not in- 

 frequent. 



The insect enemies of barley are those commonly 

 affecting wheat. However, the chinch bug is more 

 often found destructive with this crop than with wheat 

 and the Hessian fly less destructive. The diseases 

 prevalent with barley are no different than those at- 

 tacking wheat or oats. 



