GRASSES, GRAINS, AND PLANTS. 577 



BARLEY. MALT. 



Carbon . ? 41.64 33-95 



Hydrogen 6.02 5.31 



Nitrogen 1.81 0.88 



Oxygen 37.66 34.46 



Ash 3.41 1.34 



Water 9.46 4.06 



100.00 80.00 



Barley is rarely or never used in America and Great Britain, as 

 bread, but it is eaten in soups and given to the sick as pot and 

 pearl barley, in which condition it is considered very nourishing. 

 This form is produced by rubbing the grains in an appropriate 

 machine, till they are deprived of the husks and outer coats and 

 become spherical. Such barley is generally imported into the 

 United States from Scotland, but there is no reason why it 

 should not be prepared here. A porridge made of barley meal 

 is used in Scotland. 



Barley is known to be ripe by the disappearance of the reddish 

 hue on the ear, and by the ears beginning to droop against the 

 stem. Unless intended for seed, it should be cut before it is 

 fully ripe, both on account of the better quality and weight of 

 the grain, and to prevent waste by shelling. 



Oats. The oat is supposed to be a native of Asia. A 

 species is found wild in California. 



The northern limits of this grain in Europe appear to be : 



Scotland Lat. 58 40' N. 



Norway " 56 " 



Sweden " 63 30' " 



Russia " 62 30' " 



It is extensively cultivated in the northern, but not in the 

 southern, parts of Europe. It grows well in Bengal, India, lati- 

 tude 25 N. In America it is cultivated as far as settlements 

 extend northwards. It was introduced into the United States 

 at the same time as rye. In this country it is confined prin- 

 cipally to the Middle, Western, and Northern States. Its 

 profitable production would appear to depend much on the fre- 

 quency of rain during its growth. 



Five species are cultivated : 



Bristle-pointed oat ; short oat ; common oat ; Tartarian oat ; 

 naked oat. 



