BARLEY 171 



while comparatively nutritious, is not generally used for 

 feeding on account of the beards, which make it unpalat- 

 able to animals. In some parts of the Western and 

 Southern States barley is quite extensively cut for hay. 

 Barley hay has high feeding value, and if cut before 

 the beards become stiff, makes a palatable feed. When 

 cutting for hay is delayed until the beards are stiff, injury 

 to the mouths of the animals to which it is fed sometimes 

 results. In some places barley is grown for pasture and 

 is frequently used for hogs and sheep. 



PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION 



157. The world's production. — The world's produc- 

 tion of barley for the five years 1907-1911 was approx- 

 imately 1400 million bushels. Of this amount, approx- 

 imately 400 million bushels, or over one-fourth, was 

 produced in Russia. The United States ranks next in 

 total production, the average annual production for the 

 above five years being approximately 165 million bushels. 

 The other countries producing large amounts, in order 

 of their production, were : Germany, Austria-Hungary, 

 Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Of 

 the total production in the United States, California 

 produced over 20 per cent and Minnesota over 19 per 

 cent. The other states producing large amounts in order 

 of their importance are : Wisconsin, North Dakota, 

 South Dakota, Iowa, and Washington. While barley 

 is produced in many other states, the acreage is com- 

 paratively small, about 85 per cent of the total produc- 

 tion being produced in the above named states. The 

 average yield per acre for the United States is approx- 

 imately 25 bushels, a considerably higher one than that 

 of wheat and rye. 



