28 BRITISH GRASSES. 



are smaller and more elongated than those of Two-rowed 

 Barley, and the awns are long, tough, and persistent. 

 The average number of grains in each spike is forty- 

 seven. This is cultivated in the Highlands of Scotland 

 as a spring crop, and in Ireland as a winter crop. In 

 the fertile lands of Perthshire it yields a very heavy 

 crop. It is chiefly employed in making whisky. 



Victoria Bere has longer stems, longer spikes, and is 

 more prolific. This is an excellent variety, either for 

 high or low districts. 



Six-rowed Barley {H. hexastichum) differs from Bere 

 (H. vulgare) in having all the rows equidistant. The 

 stem is thirty inches high, the spike short, containing 

 about thirty-two grains ; it is hardy and prolific. 



Six-rowed Naked Barley. Similar to Bere, but with 

 freer seeds, which separate from the chaff in threshing. 

 Often called Siberian Barley, and introduced from the 

 Himalayan mountains. 



Dry soils suit barley best. 



Barley-bread is by no means to be despised ; not only 

 was it the staple food of great numbers in the olden 

 times, but it is now the regular diet of vast numbers of 

 the Continental poor. With us its chief use is for 

 malt. For this purpose the grain of the finest quality 

 and thinnest rind should be selected. The first process 

 in malting is to plunge the grain in very pure water. 

 All that sinks in the water is fit to be turned into malt, 

 but that which floats should be skimmed off and set 

 aside for feeding poultry and pigs, for it is too light to 

 make good malt. After remaining in water until 

 thoroughly softened, the grain is then laid in heaps 

 large enough to engender a suitable heat for germina- 

 tion, but not enough together to make too great a heap. 



