TRANSACTIONS Oli" SUR-SECTION F, 



807 



3. Barley Growing and Selection in Ireland. 

 By Herbert Hunter, B.Sc. 



After dealing with the manner of origin of many of the vailetie3 of cereals 

 ■which are to-day in cultivation and the methods of improvement adopted hy early 

 workers, such as Colonel Le Couteur and Patrick Sherriff, the author proceeded to 

 describe some of the leading varieties of barley in use in Ireland to-day. 



Incideotally some recent experiments in the cultivation of this cereal carried 

 out by the Department of Agriculture in Ireland were referred to, and the main 

 conclusions of these investigations dealt with. The special requirements of 

 barley for malting purposes were described, together with the ellect ot pure and 

 mixed seed on the quality of the produce. The author then proceeded to 

 enumerate the various methods adopted for the production of pure-seed s"PPlies, 

 and showed by actual examples from experimental single-ear cultivations ot Old 

 Irish, Chevallier, and Archer varieties the existence of many closely related 

 Strains of the same variety. The constancy of the characteristics of each 

 type was then dealt with, and their adverse influence on a pure-seed supply 

 demonstrated. . 



The existence of ' quality ' in barley as a specific character was pointed out, and 

 the possible lines of improvement in this direction indicated. 



As good ' quality ' and high vield do not appear to be coexistent in present-day 

 varieties, selection of the forms possessing these characteristics in the highest 

 degree must eventually lead to hybridisation. In all cases, however, selection of 

 varieties with demonstrated characteristics must precede hybridisation, as this 

 process results in forms, new rather in the combination of definite characters 

 than in the production of intensified ones. , . 



It was pointed out that, whether dealing with hybrids or pure natural varieties, 

 it is desirable to propagate seed for commercial purposes from single grams or 

 ears, as this method results in seed possessing a minimum amount of variation in 

 any direction, and is on that account more valuable commercially. 



MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7. 

 The following Papers were read : — • 



1. Small Holdings: Some Considerations on their Successful Establishment. 



By Mrs. L. Wilkins. 



The author discussed some general principles which have emerged during 

 work on the sub] ect in England. 



The present interest in the Irish land question, following on the Report ot the 

 Commission on Congestion, leads one to think of the whole question in connection 

 with Ireland. The circumstances of the two countries are so different that the 

 application of these general principles is fundamentally affected. 



Small holdings originally were not established but were a natural outcome of 

 existing conditions. The small man created them by means of his own labour 

 while earning his maintenance. j. i. • e 



At the present day he has, as a rule, to have capital to pay for the creation ot 

 his holding, except in those cases where farm land goes into market gardening or 

 fruit growing. The difficulty be experiences in obtaining land in England is 

 not through dearth of land, but through want of organisation ; for the land in 

 the market is mostly in large areas beyond the means of the individual. 



Necessity of Legislation to remedy this : Consideration of facts with which 

 legislation has to deal in the two countries. The fundamental point is : are the 

 people entirely dependent on the land for a living ? 



In England, it being a manufacturing nation, they are not exclusively so ; m 

 Ireland, speaking generally, they are. j - • 



The influence of this on the nature of the small holdings : in England ]t is 



