BARLEY. 315 



It should be sowed either in the y*ry early fall or very 

 early spring. Of course the soil should be thoroughly 

 plowed and pulverized. The land is greatly improved by 

 subsoiling. By sowing in the latter part of August or 

 early in September a large amount of pasturage will be 

 available for the winter. Some farmers sow it with the 

 last plowing of corn, in the latter part of July. If the field 

 is accessible to stock, it makes but little difference how early 

 in the latter part of summer it goes in the ground, but if 

 not pastured it will be liable to joint. The kind of soil 

 best adapted to barley is a light, rather sandy loam, rich 

 and deep. Cold, wet, heavy soils will not produce it at all, 

 as it will be more or less winter-killed. It will not pay a 

 farmer to sow it on old, worn-out land; his expectations will 

 always meet with disappointments. The land must be 

 good. The quantity sown to the acre varies according to 

 the soil. On good, mellow, rich land, from two to two and 

 a half bushels to the acre will do, but on thinner land it 

 will require more than that, as it does not tiller as well as 

 wheat. This is for broadcast sowing. With a drill it will 

 require much less. Great care should be exercised in the 

 selection of seeds, as it easily spoils if exposed to too much 

 moisture, and the grain becomes dark or reddish Good 

 seed should be of a pale hue, lively and uniform. Good 

 seeds will throw up Strong, vigorous stems, capable of re- 

 sisting any extreme of weather, and will ultimately grow 

 with more luxuriance and strength than if the seeds are 



deficient. 



» 



CUTTING. 



The time of harvesting must be closely watched, as more 

 care is necessary at this period of its culture than at any other, 

 time, and a little, very little, remissness now ; will cause the 

 the farmer to lose his labor. It should not be allowed to 

 get Very ripe, and yet it should be ripe. The best way is 

 "to wait until the longitudinal red streaks on the grain 

 disappear, the head begins to hang down, and the straw 



