March 1897.] GENERAL AGRICULTURAL NOTES. 



395 



The influence of soil on the crop is much modified by the 

 character of the season, and it will be remembered that 1894 

 was cold and wet, and 1895 and 1896 hot and dry. 



The judges further divide the entries of 1896 into those from 

 soils of a calcareous and non-calcareous character. The number 

 of entries and prize winners classified in this way are shown 



Soil. 



Calcareous. 



- 1 



Non- Calcareous. 



Total 

 Entries. 



Total 

 Prizes. 



Entries. 



Prizes. 



Entries. 



Prizes. 



Gravel 



15 



6 



32 



8 



47 



14 



Sand - 



1 





18 



5 



19 



5 



Chalk 



29 



11 







29 



11 



Loam (light) 



2 





22 



4 



24 



4 



„ (heavy) 



5 



1 



15 



8 



20 



9 



Clay - 



17 



4 



10 



3 



27 



7 



Not defined - 











3 





Total - 



69 



22 



97 



28 



169 



50 



The per-centage of prize -winning exhibits was 31-9 in the 

 samples from calcareous soils, and 28*9 in those from non- 

 calcareous soils. Reviewing these figures the judges state that 

 considering the popular opinion on the question of the effect of 

 calcareous and non-calcareous soils, the slight difference of 

 per-centage indicated by the above results is regarded as re- 

 markable, and the results of further competitions should be of 

 interest on this point. 



A record of the nature of the preceding crop having been 

 obtained in the case of each exhibit of barley in 1896, an 

 analysis makes manifest the growing popularity of making the 

 barley crop succeed another white straw crop ; and " the desira- 

 bility of such rotation," the judges say, " seems to be made 

 quite evident by the awards given to nearly all barley so 

 produced." 



In conclusion, the judges point out that the principal difficulty 

 of the year has been made apparent b}^ the exceptional hardness 

 and brittleness of those barleys that were secured early, and 

 did not properly sweat in rick or barn. A certain amount of 

 damage to the grain resulted from setting the threshing machine 

 and hummeller too closely, which would not have been so manifest 

 in other years when the skin is tougher and probably damper; 

 and growers are warned against this defect, since no matter 

 how fine the quality of the barley may be, its ultimate value to 

 brewers is greatly depreciated if the grain is broken or peeled. 



