BUICK'S SELECTED BARLEY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2313, 5 June 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

BUICK'S SELECTED BARLEY.

A recent issue of tho oonth Australian Register makes the following remarks on a new variety if barley, which appears to lie exceedingly pro lilic: A good dal of interest, has luhmi

shown dining the lust few days in , tome'exlraodinarily line barley that I has been on view at Messrs E. and W. J' Hackctt's,seed shop in .Bundle-street, '"■ It is pronounced by all judges lo be the largest and plumpest grain that they have ever seen. Prom enquiries we have ascertained that; Mr John Buick, a farmer at American Riser, Kangaroo Island, noticed in 1881, two plantsjn a crop of malting hurley that Were in advance of the vest'of the emp, •nd that the heads were also much larger than usual, containing about eighteen kernels or seeds in each row. One plant appeared to he English (or Chevalier) barley, and the other a Scotch barley, He gatheied the heads, four of each, and, rubbing out the seeds, sowed them at the proper lime in his garden, which is almost a pure

land with a rather coin pact fine red

sand beneath, There had been a little k£i straw manure put upon the garden, 8 but no particular cure was taken of the '\f~ crop, and at the harvest time he received enough to induce him to use the paddock next season for growing the produce. The second crop of English (or Chevalier) gave him about three ■ bushels of seed, and this sown on the third season' gave him twentyfloTen bags (about four and a half bushels each, say 4 bush jls each), equal to 108 bushels. He then sold the whole crop to Mr Thomas, at Point Morrison, but last seedtime repurchased 32 bushels, which he divided between his two sons—Fred and Garry —who each seeded 1G acres with their Bhare, and together reaped 150 bags, or over 600 bushels. The results of the Scotch barley were not so accurately kept, but the grain of each is so large that it has been compared to peas. Both appears to he hardier than the ordinary barley, notwithstanding the wet weather, and the tinglish (or Chevalier) grows better than any oilier on wet soil, It is rather a pity that the work of selection has not been

... carried further hotli in these and in W other cases. By choosing the the earliest, and I lie moat prolific plums in a crop of wheat, oats, liarl»y, or of any other kind of grain or cereal, \erv iui|o.lant results might he obtained. It in no uncommon thing to sae laryc plants in a crop, o" heads that rijx-u some tiino before the other, or that hare liner heads or hitter needs or grain, and if Vine a vsonl' l take these ami grow them, md wdfot again mid again for a IVw si nmnis, tlpy would astonish iheuisehes and all tbeir friends by the risiilts they would attain.—