504 



Malting Barley Competition. 



The total deficiency in 1895-96 was thus about 20 per cent, 

 compared with 1894-95, and that was also a bad year for at 

 least two of the larger wheat-growing tracts. The bad 

 harvest of the spring of 1 896 having followed a poor harvest 

 of other grains in the autumn of 1895, the demand for wheat 

 for internal consumption was quickened, and prices rose 

 rapidly, and maintained a very high level during the year, 

 operating as a check on exports. The exports of wheat- 

 flour fell from 74,114,000 lbs. in 1895-96, to 67,177,000 lbs. in 

 1896-97, nearly two-thirds of which had been shipped before 

 the price of wheat rose to a prohibitive level. The trade 

 in flour is directed mainly to the African and Arabian 

 coasts, the bulk of the trade being from Bombay. 



The Malting and Seed Barley Competition, 1897. 



Tlie Board of Agriculture have received a copy of the 

 report of the judges at the Special Competition of Malting 

 and Seed Barleys held in connection with the Brewers' 

 Exhibition in October last.* 



Compared with the exhibits of the previous five years, 

 the proportion of British and Foreign samples shown is 

 reported to have varied as follows : — 



Samples of Barley. 



1897. 



1896. 



1895. 



1894. 



1893. 



1892. 



English - - 



92 



169 



109 



124 



63 



64 



Foreign 



27 



32 



42 



80 



21 



22 



Total - 



119 



201 



151 



204 



84 



86 



The falling-off in numbers in both sections is attributed to 

 the character of the season and to greater discrimination in 

 the selection of samples. 



The number of English counties represented by the 

 exhibits was 24, as against 30 in 1896. The judges state 

 that the weight per bushel of the barleys of 1896 was not 



* See also Article in the Journal for March, 1897, Vol. III., No, 4. 



