Book VI. BARLEY. 759 



doubt ; and that the bulk may be as great as if more seed had been sown, there can be 

 as little question. Little argument, however, is necessary to prove that thin sowing of 

 barley must be attended with considerable disadvantage ; for if the early part of the 

 season be dry, the plants will not only be stinted in their growth, but will not send out 

 offsets ; and, if rain afterwards fall, an occurrence that must take place some time during 

 the summer, often at a later period of it the plants begin to stool, and send out a number 

 of young shoots. These young shoots, unless under very favor'able circumstances, cannot 

 be expected to arrive at maturity ; or if their ripening is waited for, there will be a great 

 risk of losing the early part of the crop, a circumstance that frequently happens. In 

 almost every instance an unequal sample is produced, and the grain is for the most part 

 of an inferior quality. By good judges,' it is thought preferable to sow a quantity of seed 

 sufficient to ensure a full crop, without depending on its sending out offsets ; indeed, 

 where that is done, few offsets are produced, the crop grows and ripens equally, and the 

 grain is uniformly good. [Brown on Rural Affairs.) 



4678. The modes of sowing barley are either broad-cast or in rows by the drill or 

 ribbing. The broad-cast mode is almost universally adopted ; unless in lands much 

 infested with annual weeds, where drilling and horse-hoeing may be employed with ad- 

 vantage. 



4679. The only culture which barley requires while in a growing state, is hoeing and 

 weeding if in rows, and weeding alone if broad-cast. Sometimes barley is rolled to com- 

 press a soft soil and exclude the drought, and when very thick it may be first harrowed 

 and then rolled. Grass seeds and clover are sown with the grain before the last 

 harrowing, when the broad-cast mode is adopted ; and immediately before hoeing^ when 

 the barley is in rows. The former is much the best mode for insuring a strong plant of 

 clover. 



4680. Eating down barley, -which from winter or very early sowing is over luxuriant, is 

 practised in some districts, but it is alleged that mowing is much better than feeding it ; 

 because the scythe takes off only the rank tops, but the sheep feed upon all indifferently j 

 nor should they even, in any case, be left upon it too long, because, being particularly 

 fond of the sweet end of the stalk next the root, they bite so close as to injure the future 

 growth of the plant. 



4681. Barley is ripe yvhew {he xeA. roan, as the farmers term it, meaning a reddish 

 color on the ear, is gone ofl', of when the ears droop, and fall, as it were, double against 

 the straw, and the stalks have lost their verdure. 



4682. In the harvesting of barley more care is requisite than in taking any of the other 

 white crops, even in the best of seasons ; and in bad years it is often found very difficult 

 to save it. It is known to be ripe by the ears drooping and falling, as it were, doubly 

 against the straw. Owing to the brittleness of the straw, after it has reached a certain 

 period it must be cut down ; as, when it is suffered to stand longer, much loss is sustained 

 by the breaking of the heads. On that account it is cut at a time when the grain is soft, 

 and the straw retains a great proportion of its natural juices, consequently requires a long 

 time in the field before either the grain is hardened, or the straw sufficiently dry. "When 

 put into the stack sooner it is apt to heat, and much loss is frequently sustained. Barley 

 is generally cut down in England with the cradle scythe, and either tied up cr carted 

 home loose after lying in the swath some days to dry. It is not apt to shed ; but in wet 

 weather it will be apt to spout or grow musty ; and therefore every fair day after rain it 

 should be shook up and turned; and when it is tolerably dry, let it be made up into 

 shocks; but be careful never to house it till thoroughly dry, lest it mow-burn, which will 

 make it malt worse than if it had spired in the field. It is remarked by Lisle, that poor 

 thin barley should be cut a little sooner than if the same plants were strong and vigorous ; 

 as the straw, when the plants are full ripe, in such cases will not stand against the scythe. 

 In this situation, barley in particular should lie in swarth till it is thoroughly dry. Some 

 of his barley, which lay out in swarth five or six days in very fine weather, though 

 both blighted and edge-grown, grew plump, and acquired very near as good a color as 

 the best. He reckons short scythes the best for mowing lodged or crumpled com, 

 because they miss the fewest plants ; and observes, that a bow upon the scythe, which 

 .carries away the swarth before it, is preferable to a cradle, the fingers of which would be 



pulled to pieces by the entangled corn, in drawing back the scythe. In Scotland and 

 Ireland it is generally reaped with the sickle, bound in sheaves and set up in shocks. 



4683. In stacking barley many farmers make an opening in the stack from top to> 

 bottom. Tliis opening is generally made by placing a large bundle of straw in the 

 centre of the stack, when the building commences, and in proportion as it rises, the straw* 

 is drawn upwards, leaving a hollow behind ; which if one or two openings are left in the 

 side of the stack near the bottom, insures so complete a circulation of air, as not only to 

 prevent heating, but to preserve the grain from becoming musty. 



4i6^'l. IVie threshing add dressing of barley requires more labor than any other grain^ 

 on account of the difficulty of separating the awns from the ears. For this purpose sotoa 



3 C 4 



