GENERAL AGRICULTURAL NOTES. 



[March 1897. 



Several features of this report present points of interest 

 to the growers of barley to which attention may be usefully 

 drawn, with a view to the further investigation of the conclusions 

 suggested by an examination of the samples entered for the 

 competition of 1896. 



Compared with the exhibits of the four preceding years, the 

 proportion of native and foreign samples shown is reported to 

 have varied as follows : — 



Samples of Barley. 



1892. 



1893. 



1894. 



1895. 



1896. 



British - 



64 



63 



124 



109 



169 



Foreign - - - - 



22 



21 



80 



42 



32 



An exhibit of 50 samples of barley, specially prepared by the 

 Danish Royal Agricultural Society, was also shown in 1896, but 

 not put in for competition. 



The decline in competitive foreign entries is ascribed in the 

 report to the failure of the barley crop in almost all countries 

 from which malting barleys have hitherto been shown. 



As many as 30 English counties were represented by the 

 exhibits, six contributing eight or more samples, and six 

 counties gained three or more prizes. The character of the past 

 season was reflected in the quality of the samples shown, and 

 the judges report an increase in the weight per bushel of the 

 barley exhibited in 1896, the highest weight of the English 

 samples shown was 61 1 lbs. and the lowest 55*5 lbs, as com- 

 pared with a range of from 52*3 lbs. to 60'0 lbs. in 1895. Of 

 162 English samples weighed, 137 scaled between 57 lbs. and 

 60 lbs. per bushel. The weight per bushel of the foreign samples 

 ranged from 487 to 60 0 lbs. 



The judges recur to the question of early sowing. The results 

 of the past favourable season confirm the conclusion derived 

 from former competitions as to the advantage of getting the 

 barley in as soon as the condition of the land permits. No prize 

 fell on this occasion to any corn sown after the first week in 

 April. 



The character of the soils upon which the sample barleys were 

 grown, and the number produced on light and heavy soils respec- 

 tively is shown in each of the past three years as follows : — 





Light Soils. 



Heavy Soils. 



Year. 



Entries. 



Prize 

 Winners. 



Entries. 



Prize 

 Winners. 



1894 . - 



91 



18 



28 



2 



1895 - 



90 



26 



16 



7 



1896 - 



119 



34 



47 



16 



