76 THE HANDBOOK FOR PRACTICAL FARMERS 



and Montana. They are also very important in. Canada. The 

 six-rowed types, chiefly Manchuria-Oderbrucher, are grown in 

 the area east of North Dakota and south to the Ohio river. Bay 

 Brewing is the leading barley in California, while in the South 

 winter varieties are employed. 



Desirable qualities in barley. — In choosing a variety to grow 

 the foUomng characteristics of a good barley should be consid- 

 ered: (1) Yield; (2) stiff straw; (3) early maturity; (4) thin 

 hull; (5) white or yellow color; (6) uniformity in size of grain; 

 (7) hulled barley; (8) mealy kernel. The last five qualities are 

 more important if the product is to be marketed as these charac- 

 teristics are very important in malting. 



Cultural methods. — Barley is usually grown in the same 

 relative place in a rotation as oats but requires a better jorepared 

 seed bed. Consequently it is well to plow in the fall and work 

 the ground early in the spring until a firm seed bed with a fine 

 mellow surface is secured. If the plow^ing is delayed until spring 

 it should be done as early as possible to permit of settling. As 

 good results cannot be expected with barley seeded on a poorly 

 prepared seed bed as with oats. Wien barley is grown as a 

 winter crop it is put in after corn or cowpeas and the soil is 

 simply disked well and seeded. 



Rate, depth, and manner of seeding. — The rate of seeding 

 barley is from six to eight pecks per acre. The same principles 

 hold in regard to the effect of climatic and soil factors on rate 

 of seeding as hold in the case of oats. The depth and manner of 

 seeding are the same as for wheat. 



Harvesting barley. — Barley is ready to be cut when the 

 kernels are in the hard dough stage and the straw and head 

 golden yellow in color. The handling after cutting is similar 

 to wheat and oats. An extra precaution should be taken, how- 

 ever, to prevent bleaching or weathering if the crop is to be 

 marketed. Bleached, discolored grain has a low market value, 

 but may not be materially damaged for feed. 



Uses of barley. — Ba^-ley is used chiefly for malting purposes 

 and for stock food. It is also used for hmnan consumption and 

 as hay in the South and on the Pacific Coast. The brewing 

 interests have at least up to date determined very largely the 

 price of barley and also dictated the kind of barley that should 

 be grown. They have been able to do this because such a large 

 percentage of the barley produced has been used for malting. 

 The characteristics of a good brewing barley have already been 

 given and it is the varieties that come up to these standards that 



