392 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



considerable size ; straw stout and tall but sweet 

 and of a good quality for cattle ; matures very 

 early ; it furnishes when thrashed more grain than 

 any other variety. 



jivoine Joanette, jfvena saliva varietas. — Has 

 been cultivated (or some little time in the envi- 

 rons of Orleans on account oC its precocity. It is 

 apt to shatter, and for that reason must be cut 

 a little belbre attaining maturity. Grain black 

 and good. 



j^voine de trois graines, Avena trisperma. — 

 Thus called because its meshes are generally 

 composed of three grains, attached to each other 

 at the bass ; very productive and not difficult to 

 suit with a proper soil ; grain quite large but 

 bearded and with a hard husk ; qualiiy not above 

 mediocrity. 



jivoine noire de Brie. — One of the best va- 

 rieties, and very productive in ijood lands ; grain 

 short, plump and good in quality. A part of the 

 grains are not separated in thrashing, but remain 

 joined two together at their base. 



Amine dViiver, A vena saliva hyemalis. — Very 

 much esteemed, and grown in Britany and a part 

 of the west of France, but its success is uncer- 

 tain in the east and north, where the cold injures 

 and sometimes destroys it ; very productive in 

 straw and grain, which is heavy and of an ex- 

 cellent quality, it matures early. They sow it 

 in September and the commencement of October, 

 in countries where they fear not the winter; in 

 others it may be usefully employed. Thus in some 

 parts of Berri, they sow it in February, and 

 even in the last of January, which quality renders 

 this variety more certain than the spring oats. 



Avoine de Hongrie, Avena orientalis. — There 

 are two varieties, the black and the white, en- 

 tirely different from all other oats in having their 

 heads bound up, and all the grains closely at- 

 tached, and hanging from a single side, which 

 causes it to be called the cluster oat, (avoine de 

 grappe.) The black is extremely productive 

 in good land; M. le Viscomte de JVlorel-Vinde 

 has obtained from it the most wonderful yields 

 and has contributed largely, by his writing and 

 exaaiple to the extension of its culture. The 

 grain of this oat is generally rather indifi'erent and 

 light, and is apt to burn ; in short on poor land 

 I find it inferior to the common oat, despite how- 

 ever of its delects, its great product in straw and 

 grain cause it to be in many places preferred above 

 all others. The white Hungary oat is particular- 

 ly remarkable for the strength and height of its 

 straw, the grain is often even inlericir in quality 

 to that of the black variety. Yet I have lor some 

 time cultivated a sub-variety without or very rarely 

 with a beard, the grain of which is good and 

 nutritious. It produces fully as abundantly as 

 the other in good land, and better than the black 

 in bad land ; both are hard to thrash and the 

 straw is not a good food as that of the other 

 varieties. 



Avoine niie, Avena nuda. — Remarkable for its 

 meshes composed of four or five grains hanging 

 in a small cluster, and lor its grain being without 

 chafl, and which may be thrashed entirely clean. 

 The product is small and the grain indifferent. 

 M. Ardent has within a few years introduced a 

 larger variety, a part of the grains of which, how- 

 ever, are not naturally without chaff. The pe- 

 culiar nature of these two varieties seems to make 



them more fit than any others for oat meal, but 

 I do not know that any attempts have been made 

 to discover if such preference existed. 



Grosse Orge neu, Hordcum distichum nudum. 

 — This variety has a considerable advantage over 

 the common barley, in the quality of its grain, 

 which is as heavy and even more so than that of 

 wheat, and which, at the mill, returns nearly its 

 entire weight of flour very superior to that of the 

 ordinary barley. Tliis good quality would with- 

 out doubt have long since rendered its culture 

 general, had it not possessed defects equally re- 

 markable, such as havinj; a straw as brittle as to 

 render it difficult to thrash it, and having the 

 grain to become dark if the harvest is retarded by 

 a moist spell, which does not injure the quality 

 of the other kinds. Notwithstanding these laults, 

 some farmers sow it in many cases in preference 

 to any other. It is a spring variety and very early. 



JSscourgeon de printemps, Hordeum vulgare. — 

 Despite tile signification of its Latin botanical 

 name, this species, spread over Germany and the 

 north of France, is at present unknown in the 

 most of our departments. It is the earliest of the 

 barley, which adapts it peculiarly to late sowing, 

 (or instance the last of May and in June. It is 

 desirable on this account and from its aptitude to 

 succeed on poor land. 



Petite Orge nue, Hordeum vulgare nudum. — 

 It is also called Orge nue a six rangs, (six headed 

 barley.) Although long known in Europe it has 

 been but little grown until of late, when they 

 have increased it in Belgium under the improper 

 names of ble de Mai and bU d'Egyple, it is more 

 productive than the grosse Orge nue, and its 

 straw is taller. From many experiments in Bel- 

 gium it may be regarded as an excellent grain to 

 cultivate. It may be sown with success at the 

 commencement of May. 



Orge Eventail, Orge riz, Hordeum zeocriton. 

 — Has the peculiar merit of succeeding on indifiier- 

 ent lands and in cold situations. It is well known 

 in Germany, but iitlle known in France. In 1818 

 this barley produced considerably despite the 

 drought. The grain is very heavy and is supe- 

 rior in quality to that of any of the other varieties. 



Orge noire, Hordeum vulgare nigrum. — This 

 species distinguishes itself Irom all others as well 

 by its manner of vegetating as by the color of its 

 grain. According to the temperature, or more 

 particularly according to the time of sowing, it 

 presents one year with another very perceptible 

 differences, sometimes producing a very good crop 

 of straw and grain, as I proved in 1821, again 

 not compensating one for the pains of sowing it. 

 Experience has shown that sown in the climate 

 of Paris, it will not grow if sown later than the 

 15th of April ; it is best to sow it during March. 

 If sown in the end of April or in May, the tufta 

 keep themselves green the entire year, passing 

 the winter and growing off in the ensuing spring. 

 I have tried sowing it in the autumn, but it pe- 

 rished entirely. What appears to me most re- 

 markable in this plant is its slowness in growing, 

 which renders it almost biennial, and which 

 would permit it (at least in the north of France, 

 it seems to me) to be sown in the end of April 

 or in May, and to serve for grazing the first and 

 to yield grain the next. If any one should make 

 an experiment ss to this particular, it would be 

 well to make comparative attempts witn this, the 



