460 



On the Management of Barley. 



harrowing and rolling are by no means desirable : the land may 

 with advantage be left somewhat cloddy, provided the clods are 

 small, until it is time to sow the small seeds, when the light roll 

 makes it sufficiently fine, and gives a little fresh soil in which 

 to sow the young clover. 



Advantages and risks of early sowing. — Although very early 

 sowing is strongly advocated, I hold it to be quite impossible to 

 fix any period which will suit all circumstances and seasons. If 

 the weather be perfectly dry and the land works well in February, 

 the quality of the barley will unquestionably be improved by 

 early sowing ; but that a corresponding increase takes place in 

 quantity may, however, I think be doubted. There is a great 

 difference in seasons, and a practice which would prove highly 

 suitable to one year might, if persevered in under different cir- 

 cumstances and with different weather, be productive of very inju- 

 rious results in the next. It can never be judicious to meddle with 

 the land in the spring until it is dry and works well. On strong 

 cold land also, barley should be sown much earlier, generally 

 speaking, than upon light sandy lands with a warm dry subsoil. 

 In the former there is no danger of a too rapid growth in the first 

 stages, and the land having sufficient staple to carry it out, the 

 quality of the grain will be decidedly improved and the period of 

 cutting will be accelerated. On the other hand, if sown before 

 the land is in proper tilth and fit to receive the seed, a rough 

 coarse sample will be produced. The invariable result of very 

 late sowing, there can be no doubt, is an inferior quality of corn. 

 From the 20th of March to the same date in April will, I think, 

 in average seasons be found a safe and judicious period for barley 

 sowing. 



There is at the present day a great difference of opinion as to 

 the question of thick and thin sowing ; after several careful expe- 

 riments, I am inclined to favour a middle course. From 8 to 10 

 pecks per acre on kind and genial soils will generally suffice ; but 

 on unkind land in imperfect tilth it may occasionally be necessary 

 to sow a larger quantity. 



The different varieties of barley comprise the old common 

 barley, Chevalier, Brewers' Delight, Oakley, American, Notting- 

 ham Long- ear, Berkshire, &c. The Chevalier decidedly ranks 

 first for malting purposes, and is most eagerly sought after by the 

 brewer in every district. The objections urged against it are, that 

 it does not produce so much per acre as some of the other varie- 

 ties. I am, however, inclined to think that, under proper culti- 

 vation and with occasional change of seed, there are few sorts that 

 can be compared with it. I will give the result of some experi- 

 ments carefully tried between 1836 and 1845: — 



