i9°7-] 



Cultivation of Brewing Barley. 



535 



heavy manuring with potash salts and superphosphate. For 

 light soils, potash is especially important ; barley should be 

 grown after hoed crops, not after leguminous plants, (n) 

 Great care is necessary in applying nitrogen, because nitrogen 

 makes the barley rich in albumen and therefore of less value 

 for brewing purposes. The manuring and the production of 

 the preceding crop must be taken into consideration. The 

 application of farmyard manure should be avoided. (12) The 

 disadvantageous effect of nitrogen on the quality may be 

 largely controlled, to the advantage of the total yield, by heavy 

 manuring at the right time with potash and phosphoric acid, 

 as well as by careful cultivation. The potash should be put 

 on early, even in the autumn. 



Cultivation. — (13) The soil should be so prepared that the 

 spreading of the delicate roots of the barley may meet with 

 little mechanical hindrance. (14) On all light soils the pro- 

 vision of moisture during growth must be secured by deep 

 cultivation, working the soil in the autumn, by taking barley 

 after hoed crops, by early seeding, harrowing and destruction 

 of weeds. (15) In clay soils an excess of water must be avoided 

 by careful tillage, which keeps the soil in a favourable 

 mechanical condition ; a crust must not be allowed to form on 

 the surface. 



Harvesting. — (16) The barley must be fully ripe before being 

 harvested. (17) If the barley is quite dry, it should be carried 

 immediately it is cut. (18) If for any reason this cannot be 

 done, the barley must be immediately tied into sheaves and 

 put into stooks. 



Threshing, Marketing, &c. — (19) Care should be taken to 

 avoid injury to the grain in threshing, as this decreases the 

 value. (20) The greatest care should also be taken in the 

 preparation of the barley for sale, as the dressings, &c, are 

 valueless to the brewer, but can be usefully used for fodder. 

 (21) Barley of uniform quality should be offered for sale in as 

 large lots as possible. (22) Agricultural associations can very 

 greatly assist small farmers to grow barley profitably by buying 

 seed in common and by issuing advice as to methods of cultiva- 

 tion. (23) Damp barley must be protected from injury by 

 drying, as if the grain germinates it becomes useless for brewing. 



General Directions. — Brewing barley should be rich in starch, 



