BARLEY. 317 



that these substances, such as lime, magnesia, potash, phos- 

 phates, etc., should be applied to land sown with it- 

 This is conveniently supplied in the form of ashes, land 

 plaster, liquid manure, etc. Wolff's analysis shows Barley 

 to contain albuminoids, 10,5; starch, 50.3; gum and sugar, 

 5.5; fat, 2.0; bran and crude fibre, 13.6; ash, 3.8; water, 

 15.7. 



The quality of the grain is judged of by the quantity of 

 water it absorbs when steeped in it; 100 parts of good 

 barley gaining 47 parts of water. The old physicians used 

 barley water very extensively in their practice, in febrile or 

 inflammatory diseases, it being at once a cooling, soothing 

 drink and possessing marked nutrient qualities. 



It yields largely per acre; in Great Britain, the average 

 crop of the kingdom being from 30 to 48 bushels per acre, 

 while in the United States, it often reaches 60 bushels per 

 acre. It is raised throughout the United States, sparingly 

 in the South, extensively in the North. In California, the 

 crop of 1870, reached 4,415,426 bushels. It will grow there 

 four or five years with one sowing, and yield good crops 

 every year. In New York, in the same year, the crop was 

 4,186,668 bushels; in Ohio, 1,663,868; in Illinois, 1,036,- 

 388; Maine, 802,108; Wisconsin, 707,307; Pennsylvania, 

 530,714, and Tennessee, 75,068. The Average crop for that 

 year in the United States, was 15,825,898 bushels, thus 

 showing the South to have produced a small proportion of 

 the general crop. 



The* price has varied very much each year, sometimes 

 reaching as much as two and a half dollars per bushel, and 

 then selling at another time at fifty cents. The average 

 price now for a number of years has been from 75 cents to 

 one dollar. 



As already stated, from the early ages of man, as recorded 

 by both the imspired and pagan historians, barley next to 

 wheat, has been more extensively used as a material for 

 bread, than any other cereal. At one time, in England, it 



