The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-02-28 00:00:00

Dorchester, Feb. 2711, 1860.

I think I may say with safety that no
corn crop pays so well as barley; and to arrive at
this conclusion it is ueeeseary to eimaider, first, the
coat of seed and labour, calculated up to the time of
its being brought to eaarket ; secondly, its value
when it gets there; and, lastly, how much the land
has been exhausted by its production.
In the first place, I will emit the detail, for expe-
rience shows that no crop can be produced at a less
cost, not even oats, which are much cloaper ; then,
in the second place, it will be found that for sonic
years no grain has been au valuable in the market; in
many instances the really good samples have com-
manded higher prices than the best wheat, and there
are many good reasons for presuming that this will
continue, among which I may mention, that foreign
samples are unlit fur malting purposes, and that the
cunsumption of beer is daily increasing ; and I must.
say, with all due deference to the propounders of the
Budget, that I cannot believe that any Chancellor of'
the Exchequer will ever make Johu Bull give up his
XXX. These, coupled with the fact that Foreign is
inferior to English, is, I think, sufficient to show that
the demand will continue to be good ; this being the
case the market value must be greater than that of
any other crop.
I think the last argument, or rather consideration
(for this "lastly.' will not admit of any argument),
will go very far to prove barley the most profitable,
for there is no equally valuable crop which remains
so short a time en the land, ergo, none that takes so
little out of it. Here is the grand secretor farming—
it is the crop that takes the least out of the land
with a profit that pays most ; for there are many
crops that sill pay perhaps wore money in the first
instance, but, being longer on the land, they exhaust
it more ; but I am certain that with barley it is not
the case, for it may le grown with success 50 years
nut of Bei, thus proving that the crop is firstly very
inexpensive in being produced ; secondly, that it is
much in demand, and likely to continue high in
price ; and, lastly, that it does nut exhaust the land.
and that these facts go far to prove the great value of
the barley crop.
I will now give a little advice on the best means of
producing a good sample. I will begin by stating
that the land need not be in very high condition, fur
land too good will not produce a line quality, a clean
wheat stubble is perhaps the best • this should be
ploughed early, au as to allow the best;
to pulverise
it, for much of the success depends on a 'roper
I have no hesitation in saying that bailey may be
grown on almost every *oil, for if it is a sour clay,
the remedy is, to abstain from sowing for at least
three months after the land is plough.. J, when the
action of the sun and wind will have changed the
nature of the surface, and produced ago tel seed bed;
on the other hand, if the land be very li :lit and poor,
I should recommend iiloughing and sos sing inimedi-
ately, the seed being drilled with a 4...tt1e manure,
composed of farm yard compost with a thee. I wean
such a quantity as will keep the barley growing, but
not enough to make it luxuriant and so in. By these
means (no matter the quality of the soil ) a good seed
bed may be prepared, and with a card: .1 attention to
these rules success will be certain, prose Jed the sow-
ing is not delayed till the season is last. Before lame
it will be, perhaps, well to mention that February is a
better season than March, awl that the late sown
gessirally produces a sample little ballet • than tailing.
1$ is, beeicles, most important, in th prrodoric
of a good Saffi O pts, Ohm the greatest ears ih d
taken in ascertaining the quality 44 the soil, in order
to regulate the quantity of seed per acre, which, on
good laud after turnips, and sown ci rly, should not
I came(' two bushels per acre. Many will doubt this,
but as I write under the name, •' I'm ditable Agricul-
ture," I should belie my signature if I reconnnended
more seed, having proved the quail tity mentioned
sufficient beyond a doubt. Of course , this only ap-
plies to early sowing, on good laud, h ut it will hold
good on most soils. Many of the poor, thin gluelike
brought to our markets owe their dverty to this
error—thick sowing, which will pro duce quantity
without quality, and it is the want c f this quality
only that makes the crop unprofitable.
I have said nothing about the value of the straw,
for it is well known that no other kind is so god for
stock feeding; but I think I have statec facts enough
to prove that barley is a very profitab, o crop, and
those are facts drawn from my own capes ience in pro-
ducing a good sample.

wit=