346 
BARLEY. 
the drill is better adapted for the light soils on | expected to arrive at maturity; or if their ripen- 
which barley is generally grown, ensures a more 
equable distribution of the seed, and affords far 
superior facility for a subsequent undisturbing 
sowing of clover and grass seeds. The most usual 
distance of the drill-rows is eight inches in hight 
soils, and nine inches in heavier soils.—Winter 
barley requires to be but slightly covered, and 
very freely tillers in ordinarily good land. Spring 
barley ought to be deposited at the depth of from 
one and a half to three inches, according to the 
nature of the soil and the circumstances of the 
season ; for if deposited at less depth, it will 
probably not sprout well, and may not become 
sufficiently anchored by the roots to resist the 
dangers of being laid. An uniform depth of all 
seeds in the same field is requisite for securing 
an uniform shoot in germination, and an uniform 
forwardness in ripening; for when the depth is 
irregular and various, some plants rise to the 
surface earlier than others, and some will be 
ready to shed their seed from over-ripeness be- 
fore others have parted with their hue of green- 
| mess. 
| The usual quantity of seed sown is from 24 
| to 4 bushels per acre broadcast, and not ex- 
ceeding two bushels in drill. But the quantity, 
whatever might be pronounced its normal amount, 
| ought always to be modified by considerations of 
the species or variety of the seed, the character 
| of the land, and the comparative earliness or 
lateness of the time of sowing. Some varieties 
_ of spring barley, inclusive of several of the most 
esteemed kinds, have a powerful habit of tiller- 
ing, and, if sown as thick as the kinds which til- 
ler less, will grow up in a half smothered and 
weakly condition. The qualities of land best 
adapted to barley, and most opulent in the ele- 
ments of fertility, may require, in any given cir- 
cumstances, only ten pecks of seed, broadcast, 
when land of medium qualities would require 
twelve, and land of the poorest qualities would re- 
quire fourteen or even sixteen. Any land, also, 
when sown late in the season, requires more seed 
than when sown early ; for,in consequence of the 
rapid growth of barley, the increase by tillering 
is considerably less from late sowing than from 
early sowing. Yet some agriculturists—contrary 
to both the theory and the practice of others— 
contend that barley ought, in all circumstances, 
to be sown pretty thick, and without any refer- 
ence to its increase by tillering. Mr. Brown, for 
example, says, “ Little argument is necessary to 
prove, that thin sowing of barley must be attended 
with considerable disadvantage ; for, if the early 
part of the season be dry, the plants will not 
only be stinted in their growth, but will not send 
out offsets; and if rain afterwards falls, an oc- 
currence that must take place some time during 
the summer, often at a late period of it, the 
_ plants then begin to stool, and send out a num- 
| ber of young shoots. These young shoots, unless 
under very favourable circumstances, cannot be 
ing is waited for, there will be great risk of 
losing the early part of the crop,—a circum- 
stance that frequently happens. In almost every 
instance, an unequal sample is produced, and the 
grain is for the most part of inferior quality. By 
good judges it is thought preferable to sow a 
quantity of seed sufficient to ensure a full crop, 
without depending on its sending out offsets. 
Indeed, when that is done, few offsets are pro- 
duced, the crop grows and ripens equally, and 
the grain is uniformly good.” 
The sowing of the seeds of clovers and grasses 
with barley is an almost universal practice in 
Great Britain, and is generally esteemed one of 
the greatest improvements in the modern hus- 
bandry of rotations. This sowing may take place 
either at the same time as the barley, or after 
the latter has appeared above ground. When 
the barley is sown either with or without clover 
and grass seeds, a light rolling is given, to press 
the soil into thorough contact with the seed, and 
to prevent too rapid an evaporation of moisture ; 
and when the plants have sprung and are begin- 
ning to tiller, another rolling is given, and some- 
times also a slight harrowing, to make a gentle 
stirring of the surface for aeration, and to thin 
out any excess or overcrowding of the shoots. 
When the clover and grass seeds are sown at the 
same time as the barley, they are sown imme- 
diately previous to the last turn of the harrows, 
and are settled in their place by that turn of 
harrowing and by the rolling; or they may be 
sown after the harrowing, and settled solely by 
the rolling. When not sown till the barley is 
above ground, they are sown immediately before 
the second rolling, and are settled by it in the 
soil. Should heavy rain occur between the sow- 
ing of the barley and the time of its expected 
appearance above the surface, a crust or skin will 
be formed by it so persistent as not to be easily 
penetrable by the young plants; and this must 
be destroyed by a gentle harrowing as soon as 
the land is dry. When a harrowing is given in 
dry weather after sowing, it ought to be given 
very cautiously, and with very light wooden- 
teethed harrows ; for if performed in the ordinary 
way, it is not a little liable to break, tear, and 
eradicate the plants to such a degree as to do 
vastly more harm than good. MHoeing barley- 
land ought never to be requisite for the purposes 
of weeding or cleaning; but when resorted to on 
drilled barley land as a better method of loosen- 
ing the soil than harrowing, it forms a good pre- 
paration for the sowing of the clover and grass 
seeds. After the last rolling is given, and the 
water furrows and drains are cleaned out, the 
processes of cultivating barley ought to be ina 
state of completion till harvest. Yet if weeds 
should appear, they must, at any reasonable 
amount of expense, be immediately pulled up by 
hand; for, if not promptly extirpated, they will 
take firm possession of their site, and retain 
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[PUAN RN Mans NIV ees a Pe 
