On the Management of Barley. 



459 



ploughing going forward upon land intended for barley when 

 the water stands in puddles on the surface, and the whole ground 

 is perhaps saturated with moisture, the idea being to get the 

 ploughing done in order to accelerate the spring work. The 

 ploughing is then done, it is true, but it is not sufficiently 

 considered that numerous harrowings, rollings, and perhaps 

 clod - crushing, must be gone through before barley can be 

 sown amongst clods, which are the sure result of working in 

 wet weather. Nor is the labour and loss of time of those opera- 

 tions the only evil ; soils forced into tillage by harrows and rolls, 

 rarely, if ever, become kind and genial for the reception of the 

 seed ; and it must be strong in the recollection of all who have 

 sown barley under the above circumstances, that an inferior crop 

 has generally been the result. Upon very light sandy soils 

 liberties may be taken in wet weather, with little or no bad effect, 

 but upon land with any degree of staple in it, I am inclined to 

 think that too much importance cannot be attached to working it 

 at every stage in dry weather. There are, however, peculiar 

 seasons when the weather is so constantly wet, that it is almost 

 impossible to carry out the above practice strictly. As a modi- 

 fication of the bad effects of ploughing turnip land for barley, 

 when the soil is too wet, I last year saw tried, and with remark- 

 ably beneficial effects, a most simple plan, which, although from 

 its very simplicity some may be tempted to despise, I am con- 

 vinced is most efficacious. A piece of cord was tied round the 

 fore-part of the breast or mould-board of the plough, which pre- 

 vented that smooth shiny surface left by it in wet weather, and 

 entirely removed the necessity for rolling ; whereas in the same 

 field where the cords were taken from the ploughs, large clods 

 prevailed, and the greatest possible difference was perceptible to 

 the most casual observer. For those soils generally denominated 

 turnip and barley soils, I think there can be little doubt that the 

 system previously described, of breaking up in the first instance 

 by a scarifier, or skeleton plough, and then ploughing imme- 

 diately before sowing, is preferable to the more common mode 

 which prevails in some districts, of merely ploughing once and 

 then putting in the seed. In the first place the manure is 

 thoroughly mixed and ready for the young roots of barley as soon 

 as they begin to shoot, and in the generality of seasons, more- 

 over, a better tilth will be obtained. For these lands, also, the 

 drill system must, I think, be considered the best and safest. 

 There may be districts, circumstances and seasons, which would 

 point out another mode of sowing to be more advantageous ; but 

 these may be deemed exceptions to a practice, which, I cannot 

 but think, will be still more universal. After drilling very much 



