Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-02-10
4eI ICU1yUnAI.
Spring Barley-Iis Cultivation.

spring BaSiey-Iis Cultivation.
Barley has not received ths cultivation
aud attention which its Importance in the
family of cereals, and the high price which
it commands entities II 70. To most far
mers 1t is q crop about which they have
little experience and information, and now
that It's cultivation IL beginning to be re-
garded profitable, many inquiries are max
ing concerning it. As there are two princi-
pal classes, spring and fall barley, the first
in Importance, and the first to be consider
ed is the spring barley. The spring varie
ties are six-rowed, four-rowed and two
rowed. The two-rowed spring barley Is
good variety and yields q medium crop.
Similar to this, except that the grains shell
like grains Of wheat, is the two rowed max
ed barley. This Is not a favorite with
brewers, however, as IL is said to sprout
badly. So far as experiments on an extern
sive scale have gone, the California Spring
Barley, when acclimated, is considered the
best. 1t acclimates readily. too and adapts
itself to any soil that will grow a crop Of
corn. II has the largest grain of any varie-
ty, yields more to the acre than any other
spring variety Brewers seek il for malt
ing, and the market price is higher than
that of most other varieties.
The Nonpareil Spring Barley is very SINH
spikes and the size Of the grain. Nor does
it yield quite SO largely. Both varieties
stool well, start and grow rapidly, and
ripen about the same time. For spring
sowing the ground best prepared Is plow
ed in the fall. Sod fields that have been
worked in corn also make good barley fields.
They should be well plowed, and rolled, so
that the soil is thoroughly pulverized and
settled before sowing. The seed should
.l~.fI< t.
an acre, lift is carefully cleaned, and all
the light seed blown out. When this is not
done two bushels should be sown. as II win
not all terminate. l prefer thin sowing.
with perfectly clean and sound seed.
have thus always obtained better Weld,
and of better quality. The seed should be
sown to the depth of an inch. and If sown
by band should be well narrowed In. and
smoothed down with a sled. 4 sled is
made of two oakcn planks shaped like or
binary sled runners, and boarded on the
under side. Drawn over the field IL brushes
clods and smooths the surface, making a
finely pulvcriLed, Level field. 1t also press
e. the earth close TO the seed. causing ii to
terminate quickly, and giving strength
and firmness to the roots. Barley is often
sown on fields which were cultivated in
corn the proceeding year. When ,kse
can be piowed IN season. and in good2pn-
ditlon, they generally yield good xDbps.
Sometimes, too, when the field has been
thoroughly worked In corn, the stalks are
narrowed down and the seeds Is sown
broadcast, and shoveled in to the depth OF
two Inches, and then narrowed level
Good crops OF barley are sometimes
raised in this way, but this kind ofcultiva-
tlon Is not TO be recommended. except
when the spring is late and wet. and the
he faln in
method is better than sowing late. for
neither oats nor barley will pay the trouble
10 sow late.
Barley should be sown as early a. the |
soil viii admit, and il i in good condition l
either for blowing or sowing whenever it /
viii puveriZe in your hand. Rich mould I
always produces the largest crops and up
land crops are Of the best quality. The
crop should stand until fully ripe, but not
ovcr-ripe. II cut with reaper il should
not be thrown of in sheaves. but in
swathes. and then LEFT to lie for day or
two until il i. well cured II tied into
sheaves like wheat ii will mould. and be-
come of dark color II the weather
is favorable barley should be stacked or
housed as soon As IL is dry. when il will
have fine bright color. II may be bound
In sheayes, or loaded on wagons with bar
ley forks. the former, perhaps, being pref
cradle. 1t is mostly threshed with fails.
or iramped out with horses. If threshed
with machine the boards or awns adhere
70 the grain somewhat. and it should still
be tramped with horses TO get rid Of them.
California Barley yields about forty-eight
bushels of prime seed to an acre. on first
rate soil. The Nonpariel will yield from
forty to forty bushels on soil OF SINH
lar quality. Soil that is wet and cold will
not produce large crop, nor good quail
". As before stated, any soil that is dry,
and will grow good corn crop, will also
yield barley well. Wheat succeeds well
after barley, which seems 10 have the same
effect on soils as oats Ii cleans the ground
and keeps il in a state well suited to the
growth OF wheat. Barley will necessarily
be- profitable crop to cultivate for years
Is annual consumption is rapidly increas-
ing. both in the manufacture OF malt
liquors. and for feed. For the latter il is
very superior. being almost equal to corn
Mixed with corn, there is no better feed
for horses or for hogs: and for Young and
growing stock barley and corn ground to-
gether make an excellent food.