1905.] Threshing of Barley. 215 



thereof is to be paid by the neglecting occupier, and payment 

 may be enforced by an order of justices. 



Section 15 provides that, unless the drain, stream or water- 

 course to be cleaned bounds or immediately adjoins the land of 

 the occupier injured by the neglect, a justices' warrant to enter 

 on the defaulter's land in order to carry out the necessary works 

 must be obtained. This warrant is to be granted if the justices 

 are satisfied that the injury has been caused by the neglect of 

 the occupier whose land is to be entered. 



Complaints are frequently made by brewers and maltsters of 

 the injury done to barley in the process of threshing, owing to the 

 fact that the drum of the threshing-machine 



^^Barley^ °^ ' lS Set SO c ^ ose ^at man y °f tne grains are 

 chipped or broken. The presence of these 

 injured grains greatly deteriorates the value of the barley for 

 malting purposes, as the broken, bruised or skinned grains fail 

 to germinate, and soon show signs of mould, thus leading to 

 unsoundness in the malt and bad results in the brewery. The 

 injury caused by over-dressing is not limited to those grains 

 which are cut in halves; grains closely nipped at one or both 

 ends, or such as have been bruised and peeled, are equally objec- 

 tionable. In fact, if by too vigorous threshing the husk of the 

 barley is damaged, although the damage may not be apparent, 

 irregularities in the malting, accompanied by the production of 

 mould, are likely to result. 



When farmers commence a day's threshing, therefore, they 

 should at the outset, and repeatedly during the day, carefully 

 examine the grain. If any signs of injury are observed the 

 drum of the machine should be slightly opened. It is better 

 that part of the beard should be left adhering to the grain than 

 that any risk should be run of injuring the reputation and value 

 of home-grown barley through having broken and chipped 

 grains. 



* This article will be reprinted as a leaflet (No. 149), copies of which can be 

 obtained on application to the Secretary, Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, 

 4, Whitehall Place, SAY. 



