13arley has long been grown in Scotland, and copies to great perfection where the soil and climate are suitable. The level parts of the Lothians and other counties in the s. of Scotland, with Moray, Inverness, and Ross in the n., are the districts in which the finest crops are raised. In these rich districts, B. is commonly sown after a portion of the turnip-break. For this reason, it does not occupy ro large a proportional breadth as it does under the Norfolk four-course. The produce is equally abundant, however, and the quality of the grain is often not inferior. Chevalier is the favorite variety there also. The crop, when ripe, is cut by sickle, scythe, or reaping-machine; bound up at once, and put into stooks, to defend it from the weather, till ready to cart, and to be built up in neat round stacks. The grain Is invariably thrashed out by machinery. In the higher districts of Scotland, where the soil and climate are not so good, the inferiority of the grain, unless in nn especially favorable year, both in quality and quantity is considera ble. It is only in fine seasons that the quality is such as to render it an object to malt stets, and in wet, cold unsuitable seasons, distillers can only make use of it at a reduced price. The Chevalier variety is a little late for inferior climates, and the early English and other kinds that come sooner to maturity are often preferred. In Berwickshire, Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, Kincardineshire, and Forfarshire, the five-course rotation— of two years' grass, oats, turnips, and B.—is more generally adopted than in some other counties in Scotland, and a large quantity of this grain is raised, but the quality is gen erally inferior to that of the crops in e. Lothian. Along the light soils fringing the Moray and Cromarty firths, as fine quality of grain is got as in e. Lothian. Moray shire B. has long been famous for its fine sample, and is in great demand with English brewers. On the other hand. in the less genial climate of the western counties, and also of the upper parts of Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, and Perthshire, less B. is sown, and
oats frequently succeed the green crops. In these parts the variety known as bear, or bigg, was for many a day preferred .to any other, as it is not so liable to lodge, and it with stands wet weather. far better, and comes. earlier to maturity. Bear, too, is the variety which is cultivated by many of the small cotters in the highlands and islands. Instead of a rotation in which green crops find a place to husband and spare the natural resources of the soil, a succession of corn crops are taken, with an occasional rest to the soil, and then a resumption of the cropping.
As to the manuring of the crop, on the turnip soils of the s. of England, the ]and is enriched by the droppings of the sheep. In the strong soils of Norfolk and Huntingdon, guano, rape-cake, and other manures abounding in nitrogen, arc applied when the seed is sown. In the w. of England, the moist climate renders the application of manures more precarious, and B. is frequently taken after a crop of wheat without any applica tion of fertilizers. When the turnip crop is drawn from the ]and, as it often is in Scot land, guano is the manure held in most' estimation; the quantity- applied is from 2 to 4 cwt. per acre. - In Berwickshire and Morayshire, as in Norfolk, the prevalence of the nve•course shift, and the practice of eating the crop on the ground, secure a sufficiently liberal manuring. In other parts, where B. is taken after wheat, farm-yard manure is often applied, as well as guano and phosphoric manures. In some northern counties, the root crops are laid down with artificial manures, and the roots carted off, farni-yard manure spread on the land and plowed in with the " seed furrow." B. requires a. fine filth and soil in rich manurial condition. The earlier it is sown in the season. the more liberal ought to be the applicatiion of nitrogenous manures. The later it is sown, manures nitrogen should be used more sparingly, and a portion of phosphoric manures substituta. in their stead.