-^sanifi. 



Tol. XXIII, Second Series. 



ROCHESTER, N. Y, APRIL, 1862. 



No 4. 



CULTIVATION OF BARLEY. 



We have frequently called attention to the fact 

 hat American barley is far inferior to that grown 

 1 England. The wheat grown in "the Genesee 

 ountry " and in Canada West, is often superior 

 > the best English wheat; but our best barley 

 rill not compare with an average sample of that 

 rown in the moist climate of Great Britain. The 

 eason of this is, doubtless, owing in part to the 

 aortness of our growing season. It is not impro- 

 able, however, that we might produce much bet- 

 jr samples of barley if we were more careful in 

 electing the seed, preparing the ground, sowing 

 arly, and in cleaning the crop for market. 



Barley requires a dry, warm, active, mellow 

 )il. What are popularly known as " barley soils " 

 i England are rather too light and sandy for 

 'heat, without the consolidating action of the 

 ieep which eat off the turnips on the land during 

 ie winter. Unfortunately, light, sandy soil is very 

 ften deficient in plant-food, and needs to be ma- 

 ured in some way before it will yield maximum 

 rops of barley. This is the great difficulty in 

 rowing barley in this country. In England, the 

 ght barley soils are enriched by the growth and 

 onsumption on the land of a heavy crop of tur- 

 ips. But as yet we have no crop that occupies 

 he same position in any of our systems of rota- 

 ion. We can enrich our land for wheat by plow- 

 2g in clover; but this cannot be done for barley. 



The usual way of enriching land for barley 

 5 by manuring the soil for corn. We know of no 

 etter plan. We might use some artificial manure 

 ar barley, such as superphosphate of lime or Jar- 

 is & Baker's Island guano, mixed with Peruvian 

 uano. Superphosphate of lime and the phos- 

 hatic guano are found in England to have a better 

 ffect on barley than on wheat. It is better, how- 

 ver, to mix them, half and half, with Peruvian 

 :uano. We do not say that these manures will pay, 

 ut they are worth trying, especially on poor land. 



By plowing the land in the fall after corn, barley 

 may be sown in the spring without again plowing 

 the land, except with a gang plow or cultivator. 

 The advantages of this plan are, that it saves labor 

 in the spring, when other work is pressing, and the 

 barley can be sown earlier. 



Barley should be sown as early as the ground is 

 in good working condition — the earlier the better. 

 It is the first crop to be attended to in the spring. 

 But as it requires fine tilth and a mellow soil, 

 working it while it is wet must be specially 

 avoided. 



We usually sow too little barley seed. We 

 would never sow less than two bushels per acre, 

 and 2-J- bushels if sown broadcast is usually none 

 too much. When the plants are up out of the 

 ground, the barley may be rolled, if not done be- 

 fore. Of course, the land must be dry enough not 

 to clog. 



In England, clover is generally sown with the 

 barley crop in the spring. This is not generally done 

 in this section with us ; but where it is desirable, 

 clover can be sown with barley to advantage if 

 the ground is clean. In this case, it is well to sow 

 a bushel of plaster per acre on the land, not eo 

 much for its effect on the barley, as on the young 

 clover plants. It may benefit the barley some- 

 what, but is always sure to help the clover more 

 than enough to pay the slight cost of the plaster. 



In saying that barley likes a light sandy soil, we 

 would not be understood as asserting that it will 

 not succeed on soils of a heavier character. This 

 is not the case if such lands are thoroughly worked 

 and got into a mellow condition. The heaviest 

 crop of barley we ever saw was on a strong clay 

 soil that had been summer fallowed the year be- 

 fore, with the intention of sowing it ta wheat. It 

 so happened that the wheat could not be sown, 

 and barley was sown the following spring. The 

 result was an immense crop of barley. We also 

 saw the same thing, some years ago, on the farm 



