The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-04-18
PEARL BARLEY.
Proof Positive When Properly
sown 1t Will "Come Up"
A Graphic Letter to Farmers by
One Who Knows.
AUSTIN, Tex, April II, 1882

At the earnest solicitation OF many
friends, but more especially in the interest,"
of science, have been induced through
the columns of your paper to give the
public my views on the subject OF the cu.-
tivation of Pearl barley, I've hominy and
other condiments.
1t is popularity believed, and indeed,
Professors Huxley, Tyndal, Nat q. Hen
derson and other eminent horticulturists,
have vehementIy asserted, that Pearl bar
lev cannot be grown successfully below
parelled SO degrees Fahrenheit. Now,
with all due Difference to the profound
erudition and varied experience of these
scientific gentlemen, l make bold to say
that that these savants are egregiously at
fault in venturing this opinion.
They assign as reason why Pearl barley
cannot be raised in this latitude, that the
chemical constituents of the soil are such,
the barley will never come u p. Now, in all
fairness I ask, have these gentlemen or
any of their friends over planted Pearl
barley to ascertain whether or mott would
come upP
Now, until the aforementioned scientists
can answer in the affirmative this inter
rogative, let them keep quiet while the
writer testifies in behalf of Pearl barley.
And right here I will take occasion to as
sert that "anything" will come up with
the right kind of seasons and influence.
This idea of not coming up is simply pre-
posterous. Even the appropriation bill
comes up along toward the close of the
session.
admit that in some instances it takes
- 20
true that Pearl barley will not
come up right away, like the
bill to provide for the per diem and mile,
age of the members, but it will come,
Father Abraham, toward the latter part
of the campaign with an overwhelming
majority.
fear that the ill-success attendant upon
the cultivation of Pearl barley depends
entirely upon the fact that people gener-
ally do not know the proper mode of
planting it. Now, if the reader will give
careful attention, will proceed briefly to
mark out specific directions relative to
the planting of Pearl barley so as to in
sure its coming up some time in the misty
future:
The barley must be soaked thirty-six
hours central time in city milk, or which
is the same thing, in solution of chalk
and water.
The soil in which it is to be sown must
not contain any carbonates and entirely
devoid of roots, rocks or mortgages.
The ground must be sub-soiled and
epgrossed till the Austin nine wins game,
and the land checked off on 1900 vara
scale; then open the jackpot with flush
of spades and SOW Pearl barley until
Snyder lights out of the Arsenal lot.
After planting do not run "a harrow, a
bucksaw or any kind of willipus wallipus
implement over the ground, but refer the
entire business to the committee of the
"hole," and go into executive session at
the Iron Front.
When the barley has passed second
reading do not lie out supinely in the bar
ley patch waiting for the seed to come
up, hugging the delusive phantom
of hope that Harrison won't give you the
bounce, and slipping "Old Grow" till the
legislature adjourns; but get up, grid up
your loins, swallow all your past animosi-
ties, mixed in a little Guckenheimer Rye,
and, like knight of old, come forth to
the battle of life, resolving to bulldoze the
next convention and, like Ajax defying
the lightning, strive to carry your box
solid, always keeping in mind Shaks-
peare's famous couplet
Thrice is he armed who hath his quarrel just,
And four times he whose barley comes up "fust."
A warm friend of mine, resident of this
city, has sown nearly his entire place in
Pearl barley. He is confident that it will
come up at the next session of the legisla-
fare, if not earlier.
He says that if the barley should hap
pen to be laid upon the table and never
come up at all, it's failure to do 80 can
fairly be attributed to his having planted
the barley on 1000 vara scale instead
of 1000 vara scale. The former scale
is too close for this latitude especially in
an off year like this.
The public can rely upon the statement
of this gentleman. He is, in amateur
agricultural circles unanimously conceded
to be the best all around narrow gauge
farmer in the state, and has medals from
Chatauqua societies all over the country
on account of his justly famed papers
upon the subject of "Lye Hominy Culture
in the Southern States" He is the only
man in this country who has ever sue
ceeded in raising fair crop of chilli COZ
carne on sod land.
l have been repeatedly asked should
Pearl barley be stuck like English peas or
maccaronia. 1 answer mphatically, no.
A gentleman who lives below Pressler's
garden stuck his barley and he was
straightway stuck for all the barley he
planted.
Mr.. Paul VanNess, who owns a large
ranch in Cameron county, writes me he
has forty-three acres sown in Pearl barley
side by side with fine patch of bearded
vermicelli.
He is satisfied the soil will grow any
thing from buuions up to Smiths Bile
Beans and is sanguine that he will be able
to have on exhibition in this city at the
Saengerfest some Pearl barley sprouts
equal to any grown in Milwaukee.
In conclusion, let me state that am in
deed proud that the people throughout
the country are becoming so deeply inter
ested in the subject of raising Pearl barley.
l am in receipt of hundreds of letters
daily from hungry farmers all over this
broad land asking for information on this
subject.
The press throughout the country, real
izing the needs of the farmer, have, with
characteristic generosity, offered me free
use OF their columns III which 10 ventilate
my views upon this sl!-absorbing topic.
shall endeavor to do what 1 can: angels
can do no more. 1t is true am the first