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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 981, 11 June 1879, Page 2 (Supplement)

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CTJLTIYATION OF BARLEY. RT?AT>T.Rq of commercial reports in all classes )f journals must often have been-struck ivith the -wide range always to be found in :lie quotations for barley, fto those unintiated into the mysteries it apt to appear >xtraordinary that there shou jd he so wide a lifference in the quality and value of two samples of any particular csreal grown in ;he fame country, and possibly within a few lundred yards of each other. But this difference does exist, not alono in the colonies, }ut in the old world. In England, we )bserve by the Agricultural Gazette of a ate date, the last crop showed a very striking difference in value, extending from 50s. per quarter for plump down to 355. foi ; hin sorts. Quality has everything to do with the price obtainable, and the careful tnd studious husbandman who cultivates lis barley, or indeed any other, crop accordng to a thoroughly well-understood and successful system cannot fail to obtain a rood price for his crop when it comes intc ;he market. We have seen that really irst-class barley can be grown in this district. The late harvest proved that fact oeyond doubt, for some excellent samples iave been brought int,. the market ; but it ilso proved that the crov was not a uniformlj zood one, and that much of the barley jrown was unfit for malting purposes. Th« Agricultural Gazette in referring to the Treat difference noticeable in the values ol lifferent samples of barley, says that, so fat is it has been able to ascertain, success in -l.irley cultivation and marketing seems tc lepend upon the following points:—"l, Moderate manuring ; 2, early ploughing ; 3, =arly sowing ; 4, good seed ; 5, successful narvesting ' 6, careful preparation for market. Above all these controllable circumstances (says the Gazette) is what is called ' season.' Seasons beat the best of us ; they constitute the element of chance in the agricultural game. Just as the careful whist-player finds himself beaten by cards, so the clever 'farmer, after taking every precaution, finds himself beaten by the season. Still the skilful player wins in the long run, and the plea that much depends upon season in farming matters is no more worthy of attention than the complaints of a bad whist-player against uniform bad luck. We consider the six points of successful barlev cultivation just laid down as incontrovertible. We hi —over, inclined to allow | a certain p.rriount of latitude as to the precise | canine of ' ::eorl seed.' After a correspondj f--m-e in iln'sc >'■'-io'ln'" r.yioii tno subject-last I sjn-mL'. we .in.- ready Ifl V-licvc that thin iKiri-y, if nis of ■■brce'O. an 'l ; ias Ilo^

been too often grown on tho same land, ma> succeed as well as stout barley of the same description. Tliis is precisely lliu same as allowing the possibility of inferior animals of a good strain propagating good offspring. In both cases, however, the balance of probability would be upon the side of individual excellence as well as excellence of lineage. 1 ' N"ow, when plans are being laid for the next season's operations, and when the preparation of land is actually being proceeded with, it would be well that farmers should devote some amount of attention to the subject of barley-growing. For various reasons the crop is not a popular one, chiefly owing to its liability to destruction by caterpillars ; and few agriculturists in any of the colonies care to run the risk of being ruined through an unexpected and unwelcome visit from these posts. Still where barley is grown it would be well that the cultivation of the crop should be thoroughly systematic. Barley of all cereals permits least of what we may fairly term " happy-go-lucky" farming. The farmer who contemplates putting in a crop of this cereal should bestow upon it every attention, and he may rest assured that when brought to the market he will obtain fair, if not exceedingly good, remuneration for his trouble. As we have seen good seed forms one of the essential'points leading to success. It would be difficult to say which of the most favored classes of barley farmers should select; locality and climate must in all cases be taken into consideration in making a selection. But if, as is claimed for it, Oregon in any important degree is noxious to the caterpillar and capable of withstanding its ravages, while at the same time giving an abundant yield, it should prove a safe and profitable variety to cultivate. Jt is said to be hardier than any of the varieties, and on this ground—a verv strong recommendation—it is highly popular in the other colonies, more particularly in Victoria, in some portions of which it is reported to have yielded exceedingly well, as at Upper Maffra, where last season it gave an average yield of 37J bushels per acre, the highest being 72 bushels and the lowest. 14, while English barley gave an average of 26 bushels, and Cape only 8 bushels, owing, as, the Australasian learns, to the caterpillar. The Chevalier, from its popularity with brewers, must always command a ready sale prices. It is very well adapted to our climate, and on well but not highlyfarmed land it gives a good return. In England it is the most popular variety, and is most largely sown, as its quality is superior aiid its yield greater under liberal'treatment than any other much-cultivated variety. In rotation cropping barley should come after a turnip-crop, and the ground should be carefully prepared by ploughing and rolling to pulverise it thoroughly. On strong lands' a barley crop may be planted after fallow or a

I green crop. In tliis case' the land should be ploughed before the winter frosts set in, which have the tendency to render the soil sweet and friable. Under favorable circumstances barley is one of the most profitable crops that a farmer can cultivate, though the risk attending it gives to barley-growing a very speculative character.