The Clovis news. [volume] (Clovis, N.M.) 1907-1929, 1912-09-19
bailey AS DRY BARN CROP.


tny n y DERn Asronomiet in Charge
Of Barley Invertirntioue. ~. 8. DEPART
mcnt of Aeficuitnre)
Barley has generally not been con.
eidered q dry land crop. but SEE sue.
ceas ~ the western states during The
past few years haa attracted attention
TO its possibilities for that purpose. in
the northern great plains and Rocky
mountain states, where corn is en- un-
certain crop. barley win furnish an
excellent feed for al kinds Of farm
animals. This fact has already given
an impetus to the growing Of live
stock, especially hogs. throughout the
northwest Iu Che Rocky mountain
and Pacific coast states hooded. or
%beardless, barley has long been grown
for hay. Of which It furnishes en- ex-
oellent and highly p%alntable crop. near
" equal to alfalfa In feeding value.
IN Utah. Idaho. eastern Colorado.
Kanses. Nebraska. Oklahoma and Tex
as farmers are beginning to realize
the advantages Of winter barley y e
spring sown barley as q grain crop.
Winter barley. being fail sown, has
tho advantage Of an early start IA
the spring and win frequently produce
a crop where spring sown barley may
fail. AT present there are but two
forLls Of winter barley grown ln the
west. the quare-headTennesse winter
and the ~round-head Utah winter. The
office Of grain Investigations. bureau
Of plant industry. department of ag-
riculture, has developed a number Of
other winter forms which were dis
tibuted 10 1911, and results viii be
watched with interest
No single variety, either spring or
winter. seems to be adapted 10 the
entire semi-arid region, Among the
winter forms, Tennessee winter, q
beared six-rowed barley. has so far,
given best results, and Hannchen. a
beared two-rowed spring barley, leads
In yield In the Dakotas. Among the
lsix-rowed spring forms, Manchuria,
Gatsmi and Odessa are the best.
Among the hulless varieties Himalaya
Guy Mayle), Black hulless and Ne
pal White hulless), give the best
results.
With the exception Of sandy and
very alkaline land, barley can be
grown on a variety OF soils, but the
best results are generally secured on
the prairie or alluvial loan soils Bar
ley Is a more certain crop on alkaline
soils than is either wheat or oats.
The crop requires a mellow seed
bed. If the land Is ploWsd It should be
Immediately narrowed to conserve the
moisture. In many localities best re
suits are obtained when the land is
fall plowed and left rough until spring
and then disked and narrowed. Where
there Is a tendency to blowing of the
soil, granular soil Is preferable to the
dust mulch generally advised.
The yield and quality Of barley are
considerably influenced by the kind Of
seed sown. The seed should be thor
oughly cleaned and graded before SOW
ing. Large, plump seed win produce
strong plants. which, In the struggle
for existence that always follows seed
ing dry land crops, viii be more likely
TO survive than win plants produced
from small, shrunken seeds.
The tanning mill should be found on
every farm, but when not available
a simple yet highly effective method
for cleaning and grading the seed is
TO iromerse It in a tub OF water and
stir thoroughly. All the light, chafy
and diseased grains, as welI as the
larger portion Of wild oats and other
weed seeds, will come to the surface
and can be SKINNED OF and burned.
If the seed was smutted, adding form
ain at the rate Of n pound to 40
gallons Of water win be found efec-
tive ia preventing its further propa-
cation.