Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-01-31
BARLEY CULTURE FOR TEXAS.


ing the natural agricultural conditions of
Texas and comparing them with what we
knew relative to the bsrley-producing
regions Of other sections, we had arrived at
the opclusion that barley might be made q
grandl ~;ccLss here Quite number of
correspondents responded to our article,
stating that hey had long grown barley in
Texas with invariable success, and we
published some Of their letters; hence, as
must be seen, the thing no longer stands as
mere matter Of theory.
The outlook now appears TO indicate that
we are soon to have a frst-class market in
Texas for Texas barley, and this fact in
vests bariey-culture wiki a new interest
for US. If Texas farmers win undertake it
they can produce all the barley that any
great malteries established within the state
may capacitate themselves to work; and,
of course, Texas farmers should undertake
it, if it pays them. It would pay them, IN
doubtedly, if it pays farmers to raise bar
ley in any other section Of our common
country, and it must pay in other sections
else so many farmers would not be at it.
An extended acreage to barley means the
permanent establishment of a new line of
industries in Texas, and good market for
line of products easily raised and profit
ably raised, that heretofore have been
cutting but comparatively small figure in
our agricultural interests. If we go into
the production of barley to the extent Of
our natural capabilities we shall soon have
q majority Of the malteries, undoubtedly.
1t is nonsense to say that manufacturing
establishments will not hang closely to the
source of supplies-they could not afford to
do otherwise if they would. Occasionally
n verturesone manufacturer may locate
far away from the source of supply, and
depend on shipping the raw materials to be
worked in his factory, but it does not take
that kind Of thing long to make him tired,
and cause him to think of shipping his
traps to some other locality But there is
no need that venturesome maltery men To-
eating in Texas should ever he met by any
such trouble, provided Texas farmers, in
an effort to be good to themselves, viii put
the capabilities of cur state to proper use.
That Texas will eventually raise barley
on very large scale may be accepted as
fact beyond controversy, but when? We
can see a great danger hanging over the
start of the industry. Unless that start is
made Alright our progress in barley culture
for the malt market will be extremely
slow for-no telling how long. There must
be no mistake. A few failures here and
there would so retard the movement that
years would be necessary to get it fairly
moving agair.
The danger lies in a dependence on the
part Of our people for instructions in
barley culture from persons who under
stand barley culture only as it is conducted
in other and widely different regions This
is Texas, and therefore rules that might
hold good for barley culture in Iowa, Wis |
consin, Michigan or Canada would stand a |
fair chance of leading us INTO hopeless |
failure here. II has been that way with |
many things we have attempted to grow on
the Northern plan-fruit culture, for ex- |
ample. Texas would to-day be producing |
more fruits than she could possibly con- |
sumo, with large surplus to ship away, !
but for that very kind Of thing. Thus it |
becomes important for US to study barley |
culture IN Texas, and to adopt Texas meth |
DDS, improving upon them as we go, rat her |
than risk working TO instructions from any
other section of the country. Men
from other sections, interested in
ha-ing Texas produce barley,
might do as much in the way of giving good
and wholesome instructions as could native
Texans, but we would suggest that before
they get at it they study Texas as 4 barley
c untry, and base their instructions strictly
upon the experience Of Texans. They may
say Wen tell you how to raise barley"
and there is no kind Of good reason for why
they should not DO SO, but to avoid mistakes
they should, in our opinion, first get such
Texans as have had experience with barley
to tell them how TO do it.
Theway to start barley culture on boom
in Texas is TO tell Texas people how TO raise
barley in Texas, ard not how barley IS
raised il Canada or any other distant part
of the world where climatic and other con-
ditions are as widely different from those
Of Texas as it would be possible for con-
ditions to be. Barley is crop that
readily accommodates itself to any eli
mate says Mr. J. NJ. Shaffer of Iowa, sup
posed TO be our best American authority on
the subject, "but it must have special treat
ment TO adapt it TO special conditions
These remarks are prompted by :, desire
on our part to have extensive barley culture
in Texas started in accordance with correct
principles. As yet there is no prominent
published authority on barley culture in this
state, therefore we take this method of
calling upon all Texans reading THE GA
zETTE, who have had experience with bar
ley in Texas, to give US fun particulars
for publication. If they viii respond
promptly they may thus contrI butte much
towards starting 4 great coming industry
upon sure footing.
One Of the best authorities on barley cult
ure in the South, that we now know of, is
Professor j. 3. hillebrew of Nashville,
Tenn. In one of his reports made to his
state as commissioner of agriculture, he
says thers are two kinds of barley in gen
eral cultivation, . spring kind and winter
kind. The spring kind is raised in the
Northern states exclusively, where 1t is
sown in spring, but it does not succeed so
well here IS there We want the winter
Gor,a q, fs e,,v-, f,fr .