Iiifluence of Climate on Cultivation. 
171 
less manure it requires to produce a given quantity of grain. 
A^'llere it is the custom to take repeated crops of grain, late sowing 
is invariably had recourse to as a means of augmenting the pro- 
duce. Mr. Read, in his ' Report on the Agriculture of South 
Wales,' states, that " the season for putting in barley is generally 
from the first week in April to the middle of May." 
In the south of England, where the heat of summer is greatest 
and the drought most severe, barley of fine quality is rarely- 
obtained, if it is put into the ground later than the middle of 
April. Even in favourable growing seasons the crop rushes up 
too rapidly, and the high temperature of July forces it on to 
maturity : as a consequence, the grain is hungry and inferior in 
quality. In fact, in ordinary seasons the forcing character ot the 
weather is such in the south of England that the spring crops 
usually ripen much about the same time, whatever may have 
been the time of sowing. 
It is, therefore, of prime importance to sow barley early in a 
dry and forcing climate. When the land is well manured, it 
pushes the plants forward, although the season is cold and 
ungenial. The earlier, in fact, that the crop is sown, the more 
does it show the advantages arising from winter sowing. 
Mould pulverized by frost is best fitted for retaining moisture : 
the straw, too, from having had time to take a full supply 
of earthy mattei", is said " to contain more bone," and is alto- 
gether more healthy and of firmer texture, which enables it 
to withstand the effects of rains. But perhaps the chief advan- 
tage arises from the seeding tendencies being fully developed ; 
for the cold has the effect of promoting seed, and the manure is 
also rliverted towards this primary object. The grain, not being 
unduly hastened to maturity, becomes plump and fine in quality. 
It is a just observation of Mr. Hewit Davis, that the season for 
sowing land in good condition her/ins icith the year, and no 
favourable ojiportunity after this period should be lost in com- 
mitting the seed to the ground. This is also quite borne out in 
the opinion which we have heard Mr. Hope, Fentonbarns, East 
I.othian, express. He prefers to sow barley, as well as other 
spring crops, by the end of February, if the soil is in a fit state 
and well manured. Early sown crops do not often suffer from 
the low temperatures that occasionally occur, and they are ren- 
dered far more certain and productive. 
In Scotland, however, it is under certain circumstances 
advantageous to delay the period of sowing barley. In some of 
the more elevated districts, where the soil is strong and not well 
adapted for grazing or for turnips, barley is generally taken after 
a crop of wheat. In this case the land is somewhat low in con- 
dition, and delaying the sowing till the beginning of May greatly 
