HABITS OF GROWTH 



81 



Habits of Growth. Barley is an erect annual plant. 

 It does not stool or tiller so heavily as rye, wheat, or oats. 

 On fertile soil, however, as many as six or seven stalks will 

 come from a single seed. It does not grow so tall as rye, 

 wheat, or oats, and the leaves of the 

 plant are broader during the earlier 

 period of growth. It matures earlier 

 than most varieties of wheat and 

 oats, and consequently can be har- 

 vested earlier. Its roots grow near 

 the surface of the soil and it does 

 not feed so extensively as oats or 

 wheat, therefore it requires a well- 

 subdued, mellow, rich soil with fer- 

 tility near the surface. No crop 

 responds more readily to good tillage, 

 and the prudent farmer soon finds 

 that it pays to put extra cultivation 

 with disk and fine-tooth harrow upon 

 the land to render plant food avail- 

 able and to prepare a good mellow 

 seed bed for this crop. It is use- 

 less to try to grow barley upon 

 poor sandy lands or worn-out soils ; 

 neither does it do well on ground 

 that has been newly cleared, or is 

 poorly drained. 



Fall plowing is preferable on clay 

 or clay loam soils as the winter 

 weathering helps to disintegrate the soil particles and to 

 secure good tilth. The ground should be disked as early 

 as it will work well in the spring and then finished with 



M. AND H. PLANT PROD. 6 



Fig- 43- Plants of pedigree 

 barley. 



