The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1911-04-13
BARLEY AN IMPORTANT CROP
Net Only for Grain Produced, but
Also for Putting Land in Shape
and Checking Weeds.
cBy PROF. O. o. cHuRcH1LL.)

(By PROF. o. o. CHURCHILL.) .
Barley Is becoming an important
crop in North Dakota not only for
the grain which is produced, but also
for its value as a crop to put the land
In good condition and keep the
weeds in check. When barley is
grown for these purposes 1t must be
given special culture and not grown
In the way that the grain crops are
usually produced. The adaptibility Of
barley to late seeding makes 1t Of
great value for this purpose. To get
the best returns from a crop of bar
ley, however, it Is necessary to give
good culture and to harvest the crop
at the proper time. The way barley
is ordinarily handled in North Dako-
ia, very low grade is produced and
good prices cannot be expected.
There is usually a difference of from
ten to fifteen cents per bushel be-
tween the feed grades and mailing
grades Of barley, and as a general
thing barley produced in North Da-
kota does not sell higher than the
feed grades.
The greatest fault to be found at
the present time with barley produced
In North Dakota is the very poor
condition of the grain caused by the
poor, careless method of harvesting.
Some is harvested green, some is
harvested over-ripe and nearly all Is
allowed to stand in the field and be-
come badly weather stained. Such
sbarley cannot bring a high price on
] the market. 1t should be harvested
when the berries are turning yellow
and are in the hard dough stage.
This is ripper than most people allow
the grain to become before harvest
ing. 1t should be shocked in large
shocks and If it cannot be threshed
as soon as ready 1t should be stacked.
The extra labor required to stack
will be more than Offset by the bet
ter quality and the resulting higher
prices secured.
When barley is used as a crop to
clean the land from weeds and to i'm
prove the soil condition, the ground
should be plowed either in the fall
or early in the spring and then har-
rowed frequently until the time of
seeding. The seeding may safely be
delayed until the first to the middle
of June. This late seeding may de-
crease the crop to some extent, but
a satisfactory yield will usually be
a11H-~45 T1-1op
should the field be allowed to go
without narrowing frequently and all
the weeds shou'e be kept in check so
that at the time the barley is seeded
there will be no weeds ready to make
a rapid growth. If this work Is done
carefully and thoroughly the barley
crop will be practically free from
weeds.
Barley may be used either as a
horse OF hog feed. Fol hogs it has
about the same feeding value as corr
and the gains made In weight will be
as economical as that produced by
corn. Any one in this state desiring
to grow hogs, finding that corr is not
a profitable crop, should grow barley
for the grain feed. Barley may be
mixed with a variety Of crops and
used as a pasture or soiling crop.
When grown in this way the same
results will be secured as far as
weeds are concerned as when the
land is cultivated until late in the
season.
There are several types of barley
In this state. The six-rowed barley is
the best and sells the best on the
market. 1t is strong strawed and