Barley
a valuable kind of grass. There are about sixteen different species of wild barely scattered over the world. We have one kind in this country called "squirrel tail grass." It is a waste-ground plant, so bearded as to be worthless in a pasture. Cultivated barely originated in Asia Minor where its parent, a four-rowed species, still grows wild. Barley is the favorite food of the famous Arabian horses. It is mentioned frequently in the Scriptures-- "A measure of fine barley." Barley was cultivated by the Romans. Specimens of barley have been found in the remains of the lake dwellers of Switzerland. A barleycorn is an old English measure, three barleycorns to the inch. John Barleycorn is the Scottish impersonation of a hilarious time. "Bold John Barleycorn" has been immortalized by Burns.
Owing to the short time required for its growth, barley ripens farther north than any other grain. It also has the power of adapting itself to the hot climate of Arabia and the quick, short summers of Finland and Iceland. It is raised in every European country, including Turkey and its tributary states. The country about Edinburgh lays claim to the finest barley in Europe. Barley is raised in the United States quite generally, but, by reason of its beard, it is so disagreeable to handle and the straw is so objectionable as fodder, that it is not a favorite crop. Transportation has been so cheapened that wheat flour is displacing barley meal in the north of Europe. Were it not that an immense quantity of barley is in demand for malt, it would become an unimportant production. Pearl barley is ordinary barley hulled for table use.
| The barley crop of the United States for 1909 was as follows: | |
| Bushels | |
| New York | 2,304,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 189,000 |
| Texas | 56,000 |
| Arkansas | 16,000 |
| Tennessee | 40,000 |
| West Virginia | 25,000 |
| Kentucky | 35,000 |
| Ohio | 700,000 |
| Michigan | 1,680,000 |
| Indiana | 224,000 |
| Illinois | 540,000 |
| Wisconsin | 21,980,000 |
| Minnesota .... 30,125,000 | |
| Iowa .... 12,125,000 | |
| Missouri | 48,000 |
| Kansas | 5,960,000 |
| Nebraska | 2,400,000 |
| North Dakota | 25,434,000 |
| South Dakota | 24,248,000 |
| California | 47,386,000 |
| Oregon | 1,891,000 |
| Washington | 7,191,000 |
| Oklahoma | 220,000 |
| Other states | 3,151,000 |
| Total | 187,968,000 |
BARLEY CROP OF COUNTRIES NAMED, 1908.
| Country. | Bushel |
| United States | 166,756,000 |
| New Brunswick | 81,000 |
| Ontario | 21,790,000 |
| Manitoba | 17,632,000 |
| Saskatchewan | 2,014,000 |
| Alberta | 4,003,000 |
| Other Canadian provinces | 2,716,000 |
| Mexico | 7,000,000 |
| Total North America | 221,992,000 |
| Austria-Hungary | 130,665,000 |
| Belgium | 4,500,000 |
| Bulgaria | 8,500,000 |
| Denmark | 20,000,000 |
| Finland | 6,000,000 |
| France | 40,585,000 |
| Germany | 140,539,000 |
| Italy | 8,000,000 |
| Netherlands | 4,500,000 |
| Norway | 3,028,000 |
| Roumania | 12,873,000 |
| Russia (European) | 367,464,000 |
| Servia | 4,000,000 |
| Spain | 69,596,000 |
| Sweden | 15,520,000 |
| England | 46,353,000 |
| Scotland | 7,410,000 |
| Wales | 2,682,000 |
| Ireland | 7,134,000 |
| Total Europe | 899,349,000 |
| Cyprus | 3,100,000 |
| Japan | 87,915,000 |
| Formosa | 50,000 |
| Russia (Asiatic) | 10,461,000 |
| Total Asia | 101,526,000 |
| Algeria | 35,000,000 |
| Cape of Good Hope | 900,000 |
| Natal | 5,000 |
| Sudan (Anglo-Egyptian) .... 300,000 | |
| Tunis | 4,257,000 |
| Total Africa | 40,462,000 |
| Queensland | 67,000 |
| New South Wales | 78,000 |
| Victoria | 1,093,000 |
| South Australia .... 585,000 | |
| Western Australia | 78,000 |
| Tasmania | 154,000 |
| New Zealand | 1,200,000 |
| Total Australasia | 3,255,000 |
Grand Total . . . . . 1,266,584,000
See Beer; Cereals
Volume I · Aiton’s Encyclopedia