BARLEY. 



BARLEY. 



cases it will be well for the fanner to select 

 the finest samples and the plumpest grain ; for 

 in unfavourable seasons the crop from thin 

 grain is always delicate, and assumes an un- 

 kindly hue, whilst, on the contrary, plump seed 

 throws up strong, healthy stems, capable of 

 resisting the effects of inclement seasons, and, 

 in more congenial weather, pushing forthwith 

 renewed vigour and redoubled strength. In 

 England, barley, for the most part, succeeds 

 best after turnips, tares, potatoes, carrots, man- 

 gel wurzel, or other green ameliorating crops; 

 but does not succeed so well after wheat or 

 other white straw crops, nor after rape so well 

 as other green crops, except on the South 

 D.I wns of Sussex, and certain land.s adjoining 

 the sea-coast, where both the quantity of grain 

 is greater, and the quality better, after wheat 

 '.larly wheat sown upon a clover ley), 

 and also after rape, than from any other course 

 of tillage. The lauds require more or less 

 ploughing, according to the quality of the soil, 

 and the state in which it is found after the sea- 

 son for the working of it commences. On re- 

 tentive soils, as compact gravelly clay, if the 

 turnips have been fed off during wet weather, 

 the earth breaks up in large clods, and requires 

 to be reduced by the roller, and at least a se- 

 cond ploughing should be given before the 

 barley can he safely sown. On light soils of 

 the li.-st quality one ploughing may be suffi- 

 cient; but if the land is tuice ploughed in the 

 spring, as soon as it is sufficiently dry for that 

 purpose, it will be found amply to repay both 

 the labour and expense. After the grass-seeds 

 are sown, the barley-land admits of no further 

 tillage. Should any larger weeds appear, they 

 may be pulled up by the hand ; but it is the 

 evidence of bad husbandry if a spring-sown 

 barley crop requires weeding during the com- 

 paratively short period in which it is on the 

 ground. If weeding be necessary, it should be 

 attended to early, or the crop will be injured 

 by treading, and the roller should be used be- 

 fore the blade becomes spindled. 



In the harvesting of barley more care is re- 

 quisite than in taking any other of the white 

 crops, even in the best of seasons ; and in bad 

 years it is often found very difficult to save it. 

 When the period of harvest arrives, barley 

 must be allowed to be sufficiently ripe, but not 

 become what is termed " dead ripe." It may 

 be cut either by the scythe or the sickle. Bar- 

 ley, says Professor Low, on account of the 

 softness of its stem, and the tendency of its 

 ears to vegetate, is more apt to be injured, and 

 even destroyed, by wet weather than any of 

 the other cereal grasses. For this reason the 

 safer course, in a humid climate like ours, is 

 to place it when cut down in sheaves and 

 shocks, and not to allow it, as is frequently 

 practised, to lie loose upon the ground. By 

 some farmers, however, it is suffered to lie in 

 the fields until the straw is quite dry, being 

 turned over early in the morning while the 

 dew is still upon it. This practice, they say, 

 is found to improve the colour of the skin, and 

 thereby render the grain of more value to the 

 maltster. It should never be carried unless 

 perfectly dry, otherwise it is in danger of being 

 heated in the mow, which reduces the value 



very materially, for the undue action of the 

 heat destroys the spear, or germination of the 

 rain; the malting process is consequently 

 very unequally performed, and as the duty ha's 

 to be paid upon the whole bin, maltsters will 

 scarcely purchase such samples, unless for 

 the purpose of grinding, and then always at 

 an inferior price. It will be prudent, there- 

 fore, not to carry barley until the heat of the 

 sun has evaporated the dew from it, when it 

 should be carried in a perfectly dry state the 

 remainder of the day, until the dew is again 

 deposited in the evening. It is a very common 

 practice to sow clover and other grass seeds 

 with this crop ; but great care must be taken 

 that they are thoroughly harvested, for other- 

 wise considerable fermentation will be created, 

 and the sample injured. It not unfrequently 

 occurs, that when it is supposed to be wei? 

 harvested, heat is soon found to subsist in the 

 mows, which should be daily examined, by 

 placing a long iron spit, that should be kept for 

 that purpose, deep into the mow ; when, if the 

 heat is found to increase, no delay should take 

 place, but the middle should be instantly cut 

 asunder, and taken out in proportion to the 

 size of the mow, when it will generally escape 

 without further injury. This operation, how- 

 ever, must not be deferred, as the injury sus- 

 tained rapidly increases. By heating in the 

 stalk, it quickly becomes discoloured and in- 

 jured. When barley is grown in large quan- 

 tities, it is usual to tread the mows with horses 

 or oxen, to get as much as possible into the 

 barns, in which case more guarded caution is 

 necessary than when thrown losely over the 

 floor. 



This grain should never be thrashed by a 

 machine, as the injury done thereby is fre- 

 quently of a very serious nature ; it bruises 

 the malting spear, which is as injurious to the 

 maltsters as if heated in the mow, and, there- 

 fore, should be guarded against. Care must 

 also be taken not to have too large heaps lying 

 together without frequent examination, as, un- 

 til it has undergone a proper fermentation in 

 the mow, it will be very apt to heat in the 

 heap ; in order to prevent which it requires to 

 be moved daily, or every other day, till cleaned 

 up from the chaff, which, from the fineness of 

 its texture, scarcely admits the introduction of 

 air, and consequently promotes fermentation. 



The principal demand for barley in Great 

 Britain is for conversion into malt, to be used 

 in the manufacture of ale, porter, and British 

 spirits; and though its consumption in this 

 way has not certainly increased proportionally 

 to the increase of wealth and population, still 

 there does not seem to be any grounds for sup- 

 posing that it has diminished. 



But it is not only the most useful for making 

 into malt, it is the best food for promoting the 

 fattening of hogs, after they have been fed to a 

 certain extent with beans, peas, &c., from 

 which it has been found that the meat is not 

 only more tender, but increases in boiling 

 whilst the meat of those fed on beans ana 

 peas alone has not only been hard, but has not 

 yielded any increase. Barley is employed for 

 various other purposes. It is excellent for 

 fattening poultry. The flour is still used m 



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