43 



But this is a comparatively unimportant matter ; for the 

 maturation of the grain is the chief factor controlling its 

 malting quality. It has been pointed out that nitrogenous 

 manures in general delay the ripening of the crop ; and 

 accordingly we find that they cannot be used in large quan- 

 tity without spoiling the sample. It will be remembered that 

 this action is less noticeable in the case of sulphate of 

 ammonia than with nitrate of soda, and where there is a 

 full supply of minerals than where they are deficient. We 

 should expect, therefore, that a better malting sample of 

 grain would be produced by the use of sulphate of ammonia 

 than by nitrate of soda, particularly when minerals were also 

 freely supplied ; and we shall see that this is the case. 



An inquiry was carried out by Tanner* some time ago on 

 this subject, which led him to the conclusion that sulphate 

 of ammonia improves the quality of barley for malting, 

 while nitrate of soda invariably makes it worse. 



More recently, Munro and Beavanf have published the 

 results of an examination of the barley grown at Rothamsted 

 under various conditions of manuring for twenty-four years 

 (1872 to 1895). Though from the long storage of many of 

 the samples an accurate valuation was impossible, it was 

 found that they could be divided into four classes viz., 

 those in which the grain was 



i. Over average in maturation and size. 



2. Over average in maturation, under average in size. 



3. Under average in maturation, over average in size. 



4. Under average in maturation and size. 

 The following table shows the number of times in the 

 twenty- four years that each manure produced barley of each 

 of the above classes. The arrangement is in the order of 

 their malting quality. 



TABLE XXI. 



Number of Samples in Each Class. 



. * " Journal of the Bath and West of England Society," Third Series, 

 Vol. XIII. 



f " Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England," Vol. VIII., 

 Third Series. 



