Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-08-24
From the South Carolinian.
BARLEY A GOOD CROP FOR THE SOUTH

n OOOD OhOI FOR 1HE NOu Il.
This most valuable grain is but little cult
waited in the South. Whether this is owing
to the imperfect system of tillage which has
been applied to its culture, or to the general
prejudice which prevails in regard to the ex-
tensive cultivation of all the small grains on
plantations, we cannot say. We are prone
TO infer, that the latter cause has banished it
from our plantation system. 1t is the most
profitable grain crop which we can grow in
The South-exceeding all others in the amount
of food which it furnishes. Barley should be
cultivated extensively, as it is the only grain
which will mature crop in the South from
the winters moisture in the earth. Having
been cultivated originally in the hot climates
of Egypt, Arabia and Persia, it is admirably
adapted 10 the latitude of South Carolina. 1t
delights in soil of light sandy texture, made
rich by artificial means. We have, However,
seen very heavy crops grown on stiff tenacious
clay lands. 1t is subject to no disease, save
an occasional head being blasted, and no 9TH
er insect but the Hessian fly attacks it, The
soil should be made very loose by frequent
| ploughings in the summer and fall, and il
should be seeded at the rate of two bushels to
the acre. We are familiar with the cultivation
of two, of the six known varieties of barley
The common or quadraugular barley, (Hor-
deuna vMgare,) has long since been cultivated
successfully amongst the planters of Lexing-
ton and Newberg Districts, and has produced,
to our knowledge, as much as seventy-two
bushels to the acre. This was done by the
aid of a compost of cottonseed decomposed in
the mule stable AMI stable dung, and the land
was thoroughly sub-soiIed and seeded with two
and half bushels to the acre. The common
custom in the Dutch Fork, is to sow barley
successfully from September to the month of
February 1t thus furnishes from March till
the first of June, succession of the best soil
ing material as green food for the horses and
mich COWS, and supplies that trying time, so
disastrous to stock, with good nutritious her.
bage. 1t is moved down with a common grass
scythe, until it goes into head, when the grain
cradle is used, and it is then gathered into
bundles, like wheat. 1t can be proitably fed
in this manner, until the boards become so
hard that they pierce the tongues of the ami
mails, when it should be Immediately disccn-
tinued, The barley which is moved off be-
fore il rises into joint, will make good crop
of grain; or can be moved a second time for
soiliEg, and that which has not showed its
heads but has merely jointed before it is NOW
ed off, will shove up an irregular crop, which,
when ripened, makes most capital summer
pasture for hogs, just at the time they require
some extra attention. We have ourself cult
waited successfully the two rowed variety,
(hordeum distichon) and find that it will make
a crop twice as large as that of corn on ordi-
nary soils. 1t has much stronger culm, and
in addition 10 this it is later and comes in at
season when the other variety is fully ripe
The use of harley as food for domestic an
imals, is not sufficiently appreciated. 1t is
better than corn for horses, mules, cattle and
hogs, and furnishes the very best food for
poultry that we can give them. If ground in
to coarse meal, such as is commonly called
+" chops,' and mixed with cut straw or fodder,
it is unrivalled for working stock Il fattens
all animals fed on it with great rapidity. For
hogs it should be boiled or simply soaked in
water. In this manner, it is fed by the cab
men and draymen of the large cities of the
north, who regard it as the cheapest and best
food they can feed to their hard worked hor.
SEES. Indian corn usually commands fifty cts
per bushet IN the Ny. market, while barley
usually rates at sixty cents per bushel This
shows ITS value as food compared with Indian
corn. We hazard nothing in saying, that we
can grow as much barley on any soil as we
can Indian corn. 1t requires not so much la
Dor to sow, reap, and thrash it out, as it does
TO cultivate and gather corn crop; and indie
pendent of this gain in labor, we have clear
gain of one-sirM in the value OF this crop over
a corn crop. Furnishing an abundance of
straw, its extended cultivation would add i'm
mensely to the compost yard and the easy
system of rotation. and advantages which the
farmer would derive from having more time
to improve his lands, should, in our opinion,
be reasons sufficiently strong to induce all who
wish to improve their agricultural resources,
to give il trial. 1t is not too late to sow the
two rowed variety, the seed of which could
be furnished by the agricultural seed stores of
the North, and sent on in time to sow in jan
uary and February.