FIELD CROPS 501 



are especially undesirable for winter barley, for while a stand may 

 usually be ootained, the crop is likely to be injured by the alternate 

 freezing and thawing of winter and early spring. Owing to the 

 fineness of the soil particles, heavy clays are much more subject to 

 washing than are the more porous loams. This washing exposes the 

 roots of the young plants and is another cause of the failure of win- 

 ter barley on this type of soil. 



Well-drained, well-fertilized, gravelly clay soils have in some 

 instances given good results in barley production. Loose, sandy 

 soils, while easily prepared, are often deficient in plant food, while 

 their inability to retain moisture makes them of doubtful value for 

 the production of this crop. Though the moisture-retaining capac- 

 ity may be largely increased by the addition of stable or green ma- 

 nures, the results will not be satisfactory as those obtained on fer- 

 tile loams. The greater ability of the loam to retain moisture in- 

 sures better and more uniform germination during periods of 

 drought, an important factor in the success of the crop. 



Fertilizers and Manures. Barley is rather shallow rooted as 

 compared with other cereals. As careful field observations show 

 that the greater portion of the feeding roots are confined to the 

 upper 6 inches of soil, the plant food should be near the surface and 

 in an available form. This is one of the reasons why barley re- 

 sponds so readily to commercial fertilizers. 



Barnyard manure is the best fertilizer for barley, if it is avail- 

 able in sufficient quantity and is applied at the right time. It is 

 superior to commercial fertilizers because in addition to the three 

 essential elements nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium it con- 

 tains vegetable matter which improves the physical condition of 

 the soil. On the loamy soils of the West the addition of vegetable 

 matter is not so important, but on the clay soils of the South it has 

 much to do with the success of the crop. Compact soils are made 

 open and porous by the addition of barnyard manure, while the 

 vegetable matter absorbs and holds moisture and prevents the dry- 

 ing and baking so common on such soils. It has been demonstrated, 

 however, that plowing under coarse barnyard manure just before 

 sowing barley seldom gives good results. Its effect on the physical 

 condition of the soil is generally injurious, making it too open and 

 porous. If plowed under some time before seeding, the plant food 

 becomes available, the soil has time to settle, and the results are 

 beneficial. 



Where the soil is deficient in plant food and humus, the plow- 

 ing under of clover, alfalfa, cpwpeas, or other green-manure crops 

 some time previous to the sowing of barley is ofbenefit. 



Where barnyard or green manures are not available, it is some- 

 times necessary to use commercial fertilizers in order to produce 

 good crops of barley. The quantity and kind of fertilizer to be used 

 depends on the requirement of the crop and the fertility of the soil. 

 If the plants lack vigor and are of poor color, though climatic and 

 other conditions are favorable, it is an excellent indication of a lack 

 of nitrogen and phosphorus. In favorable seasons, if the grain fails 



