On the Management of Barley. 



457 



the first instance, for breaking up, is not altogether the best ; the 

 land is left too close and impervious to the action of frost, and 

 frequently does not work so well in the spring as when some of 

 the following modes are adopted. A strong scarifier, with the 

 teeth closely set, and drawn by four horses, is frequently used to 

 break up the turnip-land ; in which state it remains, rough and 

 uneven, until the proper time for the second ploughing arrives, 

 which invariably is performed immediately before it is thought 

 proper to sow barley. Another plan occasionally followed, is to 

 remove the iron breast or mould-board, substituting a piece of 

 rough wood in its place, or anything, in fact, to keep the furrow 

 open, without turning it completely over, which thus presents a 

 rough and accessible face to the action of frost, or other numerous 

 atmospheric changes, which invariably mark our English winters. 

 If this operation be well performed in dry weather, and a small 

 and sufficiently deep furrow taken, I believe the land is left in 

 the most favourable state for producing a good and genial seed- 

 bed for the future crop. This surface is of course well harrowed 

 before the second ploughing takes place, which, as before ob- 

 served, is not done until immediately before barley sowing ; upon 

 the large light-land fields of West Norfolk it is usual to plough 

 the whole field, and then drill across the furrows. If the drill 

 follows the plough, it does so upon a less level and even surface, 

 and the seed is not deposited so equally at one depth ; nor can 

 the drill-man perform his work so straight and well, from the 

 impossibility of preventing the drill- coulters running into the 

 furrows made by the ploughs. Harrows follow the drill, and, in 

 some instances, the roll ; and the small seed-machine, followed by 

 light harrows, complete the operation. 



Upon stronger land, and especially in a wet season, it is usual 

 for the drill to follow the plough; so that all the work may 

 be harrowed and finished close up at night. Upon these soils 

 the rolling does not take place generally until the barley has 

 made its appearance above the ground and become strong in 

 the blade ; when the passing of a light roll across it breaks the 

 mouldering clods, and gives a little fresh soil and firmness to 

 the roots. 



It used to be a very common practice in Norfolk some years 

 ago, to sow the barley broadcast, and then plough it in with a one- 

 horse plough. In some parts of the county, on light tender land, 

 this system still prevails, though it cannot be said to be at all 

 generally practised. 



On strong soils, which are apt to work unkindly in the spring, 

 the plan of two-furrowing or ridging is frequently adopted. The 

 ploughman takes rather a shallow furrow to start with, and 



