Feb. 3, 1923 
Water Content of Barley Kernels During Growth 
337 
twenty-seventh to the thirty-first, at which time the kernels had reached 
the moisture content normal to stored grain. As may be seen in Figures 
2 and 3, the Baku variety reached these various stages at a slightly later 
date. In other words, the growing period of Baku was 2 or 3 days longer 
than that of Jet. 
TOTAE WATER CONTENT OF JET AND BAKU VARIETIES 
The average water content of the kernel of Jet, as in other varieties 
of barley, shows, when plotted, a very different curve from that of 
Fig. 4.— Average percentage of water in kernels of Jet barley from flowering to maturity at Aberdeen’ 
Idaho, in 1920. 
percentage of water. While not as perfect as in the Hannchen variety 
reported in 1920, the curve of percentage of water in Jet (fig. 4) descends 
in an almost straight line during the period of active growth. On the 
other hand, the curve of total water (fig. 5) exhibits three distinct phases. 
For a few days after fertilization there is a rapid increase in the water 
content of the kernel. There then follows a period of a few days in 
which the water content is almost stationary. Following this there is a 
uniform decline until maturity is reached and a more rapid decline to the 
point approximating the water content of the stored grain of the region. 
Stated in another way, for a period of about 12 days there is an increase 
