BARIaEY. 13 1 



Diseases of barley. 



There is a strong resemblance, in some of the diseases of the barley, to those of rye. 

 Barley, for example, bears the ergot, which can not be distinguished from that which 

 infests rye. Another diseased growth resembles the smut which appears upon the oat, and 

 is called barley brand iJJredo hordei). It has its seat in the ears of barley, particularly the 

 floral parts. The elTect of the barley brand upon the kernel, is quite different from that 

 upon the oat or wheat. In these, the fruit is wholly obliterated. In the barley, there is 

 developed new woody tissues, or woody bundles ; these are formed between the layers of 

 the brand, or fungous plant (See PI. LVI, fig. 7, d, d). Fig. 3, a, a, exhibits the structure 

 of a sound kernel highly magnified, in a section cut across it near its middle. Fig. 6 is a 

 cross section of a kernel attacked with the disease : the outer skin remains sound ; but the 

 interior is filled with a mass of black substance intersected with white lines or veins. The 

 spores form a dark smutty mass, inclining to an olive green : they are oval bodies. The 

 spores ripen early, and are shed before the grain is harvested. Those diseased heads, 

 therefore, ought to be removed and burnt, that they may not infest the succeeding crops. 



The barley brand, like all others of the same class, is more frequent in cool moist seasons, 

 .and on wet soil. It is also much more common in fields sown to barley, when the grain 

 has not been thoroughly cleansed. Fig. 8, PI. LVI, shows the spores, or reproductive 

 bodies, greatly magnified. 



In order to present as perfect a view of the value of the barle}' as possible, I have copied 

 an article from a late number of the Journal of Agriculture and Transactions of the High- 

 land and Agricultural Society of Scotland, containing two analyses of the brewers' grains 

 80 much in use in this country for feeding stock, particularly milch-cows. 



Of the composition of brewers' draff or grains, and its value ast'a food for 



milk-cows. 



A difference of opinion having arisen between the buyers and sellers of brewers' draff in 

 Edinburgh, regarding its value, and the price that ought to be paid for it, Mr. Girdwood 

 thought that some light might be thrown upon this question by a chemical analysis. He 

 caused some of it, therefore, to be sent to the laboratory, where it was submitted to both 

 an organic and an inorganic analysis, with the following results : 



