GROWING GRAIN CROPS IN DRY AREAS 251 



conditions, may be followed by a winter crop drilled 

 into the stubbles, as winter wheat or winter rye. It may 

 also be followed by a cultivated crop, as corn, or by 

 summer-fallow. The best crops of barley will come after 

 summenrfallow or after a cultivated crop. 



Preparing the soil. Barley is a crop that grows 

 rapidly, hence the seed bed should be in good condition. 

 It does not feed so deeply as some of the other cereals. 

 It is greatly important when growing barley that the 

 seed bed shall be in good condition, mechanically, and 

 well stored with readily available plant food. The prepa- 

 ration of summer-fallow and of cultivated land is the 

 same, virtually, as for wheat (see p. 218). Where the 

 rainfall exceeds 15 inches and where much of the rain 

 falls in the growing period, barley may be sown late, as 

 an aid in the cleaning of the land. This follows, first, 

 from the opportunity given to harass weeds from the 

 opening of spring until the barley is sown, and from the 

 rapid growth of the barley, which makes it possible to 

 mature it before many weeds can ripen their seeds. But 

 where the rainfall is very light such a course would be 

 followed by absolute failure in the crop in a dry season. 



Sowing. The varieties of barley may be classified : 

 (1) as winter or spring; (2) bearded brewing barleys, 

 which are two, four and six rowed ; (3) bearded six- 

 rowed barleys which are hulless; (4) beardless two and 

 six-rowed barleys which retain their hulls, and (5) 

 beardless barleys which are also hulless. The Tennessee 

 is probably the best known of the winter varieties. The 

 northerly limit for the growth of winter barley has not 

 as yet been definitely defined, but it would seem safe 

 to say that it may be grown with success as far north 

 as central Oregon. Among the best of the brewing bar- 

 leys are the Chevalier, Goldthorpe and Mensury. The 

 two former are two-rowed and the latter is six-rowed. 

 One of the most valuable of the bearded hulless varieties 



