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time as Sixty Day oats, and that Hannchen barley matures in about the same time as
Banner oats.

As an Annual Hay Crop—Oats is perhaps the most popular cereal for use as an annual
hay crop, but barley (at least the earlier varieties) has one advantage in that it develops
earlier and is therefore more effective for controlling wild oats. The barley varieties with
the harsh, persistent awns, however, are unsuitable for hay. The hooded or beardless
varieties such as White Hulless and Success are much more suitable for this purpose,
although the former is subject to lodging, being weak in the straw.

As a Nurse Crop for Grasses and Clover—Barley makes an excellent nurse crop for
grasses and clover. In experiments at Manitoba Agricultural College, bariey proved
superior to wheat, oats and rye as a nurse crop.

BARLEY VARIETIES

Barleys are classified as two-rowed or six-rowed, according to the number of rows of
grains that develop on each spike or head. Ail barleys are potentially six-rowed, but in the
two-rowed varieties four rows are made up of imperfect flowers which do not produce
grain.

A further classification into nodding and erect types is made. When the grains are
very close together and the head appears very compact or dense and stands quite erect,
it is called an erect type. When the grains are far apart, the spike or head has an open
appearance, and usually bends over with its own weight. This type is called nodding.
There are two-rowed barleys of the nodding type, and two-rowed erect types. Similarly,
there are both nodding and erect types of six-rowed barley.

In addition to these main groups, there is a miscellaneous group of barleys which con-
sists of either hooded or hulless varieties. The hooded varieties have short appendages
(hoods) made up of three sacs. These take the place of the awns or beards.

In hulled varieties the hull adheres very closely to the kernel, and remains on the
kernel in the threshed grain. Hulless barleys have very loose, papery hulls that are
completely removed in threshing.

GROWING BARLEY

Usually barley is sown on stubble land. If the stubble land is in a condition fit for
plowing in the Fall, that is usually the best time to plow when raising barley for a cash
crop. When grown as a cleaning crop or as an early crop to be sown late in the season,
Spring plowing done just before the crop is seeded is the most effective method of eradi-
cating wild oats. Both Spring and Fall plowing should be kept well harrowed before
seeding.

As a rule, early seeding of barley gives best results, but quite satisfactory yields have
been obtained from seedings made as late as May 30th. In a normal Spring, seeding
April 30th to May 10th gives satisfactory results.

For the average season, one and one-half bushels per acre is the most suitable rate of
seeding. However, good yields have been obtained by sowing one bushel per acre. This
is important, because barley is commonly used as a nurse crop for grasses and clover, and
the thinner seeding is less likely to smother the grass or clover than a heavier seeding.

SUITABLE VARIETIES FOR WESTERN CANADA

Hannchen—This is probably the most popular two-rowed nodding variety grown in
Saskatchewan at the present time. It is a very high yielder and is medium late in
maturing.

Thorpe—In those districts where barley is liable to lodge badly, the strong strawed,
two-rowed erect varieties of the Thorpe type are becoming popular. Of these, Canadian
Thorpe and Duckbill Ottawa 57 are recommended.

Trebi—Within the past two or three years this six-rowed nodding variety of barley has
come to occupy a prominent place in Western Canada. Itis a high yielder. The grains are
fairly large and coarse.

O.A.C. 21—This is a six-rowed nodding variety. It is early maturing and a high
yielder. It can be grown over a wider range of soil and climatic conditions throughout
Canada than can the two-rowed sorts, and also produces a more satisfactory malt as a
rule. In fact, for malting purposes, this variety is regarded as eminently satisfactory by
Canadian malting companies. We quote from the concluding remarks in the 1928 Special
Report on the Malting Qualities of Barley Varieties, by the Canada Malting Company Ltd.

“« . . . It seems increasingly evident from the results of our tests conducted to
date that, generally speaking, the chances of obtaining satisfactory malting results from a
two-rowed barley are much less than in the case of a six-rowed type.

“The results as obtained in the series of tests reported herein would appear to confirm
our former recommendations in favor of the variety O.A.C. 21, and selections of the same
as being the best existing six-rowed barley for malting purposes.”

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