10 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Jury, 1902. 
_Cuaracteristics.—Having explained all that I think is necessary regarding the 
cultivation and treatment of barley, I will now try to illustrate the characteristics of 
prime malting barley. For malting purposes, I group the qualities of good barley as 
follows :—Four essentials, and six non-essentials. The four essentials of barley needed 
to make first-class malt are: Vitality, condition, maturity, and odour. The desirable 
non-essentials are: Size, weight, uniformity, colour, appearance of skin, and age. 
ae describe the four essentials necessary in barley for the production of prime 
malt. 
Viratiry.—This is the first and most important feature, as, without life, you cam 
do nothing. 
By vitality is meant, not only the simple power of growing, but of developing 
rootlets and acrospire with uniformity. There are many causes which affect the 
vitality of barley: Irregular growth, arising from varied circumstances prior to 
ripening; death of germ, caused by overheating in stack; improper storage in barn; 
destruction by weevil; partial destruction by threshing; and loss of vitality through 
age and dampness. Barley is no good for malting purposes after it is eighteen months 
old. It will start germinating on a malting floor, But after two or three days will 
cease, while to make malt it requires to grow for about six or seven days or even. 
more. Hence the importance of vitality. Next in rank comes condition. 
Conpition.—The word “condition” signifies or embraces the following good 
qualities :—Softness or mealiness, colour of inside; and also the following bad 
qualities :—Steeliness, colour of inside, flintiness, humidity, mouldiness (whether 
acquired in field, stack, or barn), dirtiness, and also damage arising from reaping, 
threshing, &e. 
_ Marovriry.— Maturity is distinct from age or condition, and refers to greenness, 
ripeness, or over-ripeness. Now we come to the last of the indispensable charac- 
teristics of barley that are wanted to produce first-class malt—that is, good and 
proper odour. 
Opovr.—Barley that has an unhealthy smell can never produce a first-class 
malt, no matter how skilfully it may be worked. Sound, pure, untainted barley has 
a peculiar clean, slight odour, almost imperceptible, and difficult to describe in words.. 
However, once learned, it is ever afterwards readily recognised. Good malting barley 
should be white and floury. The quality of barley is estimated from its colour—a 
delicate pale yellow—its plumpness, thinness of skin, and its free, chalky fracture and 
absence of flintiness of look when broken. 
Conctuston.—I have endeavoured as far as possible to give my practical 
experience, gained in a country where barley is the principal cereal grown, and,. 
taking into consideration climatic influences and the nature of the soil, I maintain 
that in an average season, and by careful cultivation, the Queensland farmers can 
produce a quality of malting barley equal to any grown in the Australian States, and, 
on an average, a much higher yield per acre. Barley will pay the producer better at 
3s. per bushel than wheat at 4s., as with barley you get a more prolific yield per: 
acre, and can repeat on the same land for years. : 
Farmers should not hesitate to cultivate this valuable cereal, as there will be a 
certain market in the future, and I shall be very glad indeed if I have succeeded in. 
impressing upon them the importance of giving their attention to these facts. I 
trust to remain here many years in the malting business, but the further development 
of the industry rests entirely in the hands of the farmers. If they grow good barley 
we can make good malt, and the trade must assume large proportions, with handsome 
profits to the grower and to all concerned. 
DISCUSSION. . 
Mr. W. Deacon (Allora): I am not going to say much upon the paper 
beyond thanking Mr. Redwood for his kindness in readingit. Mr. Redwood is an 
expert in barley, in the manufacture of it at least, and those who grow it, orintend 
to grow it, should be obliged to him for the facts and advice that he has furnished.. 
Tt is stated in the paper that it is a very important matter to know when barley 
is ripe. So it is, but our home experience was that barley was not considered 
ripe until it had reached the stage known as “ goose-necked,” or turned down. 
I would like to know what Mr. Redwood means by sowing barley on the 
freshest furrow possible, for our experience of cereals hardly bears out what I 
infer he means. Fallowing, again, is good, but tomy mind ploughing land in 
the spring and letting it lie all through the summer appears somewhat of a 
