8 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Juxy, 1902. 
countries, that barley grown on light land is always more mellow than that raised on 
a stiff soil; and the more chalky and mellow the land is, the better malt it will 
make. I have certainly seen barley grown on a strong land which gave a splendid 
yield and made a good malt, but it is not advisable for any farmer to waste time and 
money in trying to pulverise a strong waxy soil if it is possible to avoid it. No 
matter how you cultivate, you cannot produce as mellow a grain, which is what is 
required for malting, on strong Jand as on light. I have gone rather more fully than 
I intended into the matter of soil, but considered it very essential that this important 
feature in barley-growing should be thoroughly understood by all agriculturists. 
Currivatron.—The land should be ploughed up early in the year, so as to ensure 
exposure to the sun and air, which have a mellowing and sweetening effect. In New 
Zealand and other large barley-growing countries, in most cases, the land is fallowed, 
and this plan should be carried out whenever practicable. I am a great believer in it, 
as you grow such a beautiful quality of grain. Before going any further, I will 
endeayour to explain the process. Plough the land deep, early in the spring, so that 
it is exposed to the dry wind and heat of summer, which sweeten the soil. _ Cross 
plough in March, pulverise well, and sow on a fresh furrow in April or May. If the 
farmer is going to drill the barley in, he will harrow before he sows, but not if he 
intends to sow broadcast, the difference being that the drill requires an even surface, 
so that it can bury its grain. Of course anyone who has any knowledge of farming 
knows that in broadcast sowing the ground should be harrowed after and not before 
the seed is distributed. I myself think it advisable to harrow even after the drill, 
and am a great believer in drilling. 
SrEp.—To ensure a good quality of malting barley, the seed must be pickled; 
and thisis essential to prevent smut. Barley cannot be properly grown in any country 
unless the farmers take this precaution. Smut is most injurious, not only to the 
growth which naturally affects the yield of the grain, but also in threshing, as the grain 
Bc discoloured, and that depreciates its value. The best kind of seed to sow is the pure 
hevalier. It is largely growninall parts. In fact, Chevalier barley is the most widely 
distributed and best-known variety in the world. It originated from the careful 
cultivation and selection of the Rey. J. Chevalier, rector of Stoneham, Suffolk. It is 
now grown most successfully in every country of Europe, America, Australia, New 
Zealand, and even Chili. it produces extremely heavy crops of friable grain, 
distinguished by its almost transparent husk, high percentage of starch, evenness and 
Toe of kernel, and its great weight. All the best qualities of every class of 
arley seem combined in this one variety. It gives the strongest extract, and will 
malt far and away better than any other class. The mode of and proportions for 
ieee are as follow :—Use 1 lb. of bluestone to every 4 bushels of seed; dissolve in 
oiling water for immediate use, or in cold water twenty-four hours before the liquor 
1s required. Enough water must be added to thoroughly wet the grain. Spread the 
seed on a floor, with space to allow of its being turned over. Sprinkle with the 
liquor and turn thoroughly, so that each grain is wetted. Another common practice is 
to get a cask or tankif any quantity-is to be pickled, and lower a bag or halt-a-bag 
into itas required. A great many farmers think that, if seed is pickled a few days before 
using, it is injured and not fit to sow. This is a great mistake, as I have seen grain 
pickled for a month or more and then yield a splendid crop. Another most important 
feature is to be sure and sow your barley on as fresh a furrow as possible. 
Sowrne.—I am a great believer in early sowing, and all authorities on barley- 
growing strongly advocate it. I suppose many farmers will not agree with me on this 
oint. However, by logical facts 1 will endeavour to prove my assertion right. 
arly-sown barley has a great advantage over late-sown, as it is rooted and 
stooled before spring; so that as soon as the winter is over it is off, and gets well 
developed before the hot sun has power or time to force it to ripen before intended by 
Nature, and so will grow to perfection and produce that quality which is essential for 
good malting barley—namely, stareh—which, when malted, constitutes the diastose or 
saccharine matter necessary to make beer. Now, in late-sown barley, the whole 
process is hurried, and before it has time to come to maturity the hot rays of the sun 
are forcing it too rapidly, and, in consequence, your barley, instead of developing 
starch, which is essential for mellow grain, has acquired, by being forced, too much 
gluten. Using a malting phrase, it becomes steely, glassy, or flinty, and is compara- 
tively useless to the maltster. A great many theories exist regarding the proper 
amount of seed to be sown to the acre; but, from my knowledge of the soil of this 
State, I would strongly advise tke following quantities :—lf drilled, 30 lb. to the 
acre; and if sown broadcast, 40 lb.; but, of course, no set rule can be put down for 
this, as the quantity largely depends on the richness of the soil. The seed to be used 
should be the best procurable, not over twelve months old, and the farmer should 
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