Barley
2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Barley. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
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 2026 Editor's Note: Barley was among the very first plants humans farmed , some 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, and it built early civilizations as bread and gruel. Today most of the crop goes two ways: to livestock, and — malted — into the world's beer and whisky, making this ancient grass the foundation of a global drinks industry. (Ed: BR 2026-07-11)
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
seeds or grains of various species and varieties of the genus hordeum. That most commonly in cultivation is hordeum vulgare, spring, or two-rowed barley, especially the rathripe and thanet sorts. H. hexastichon (i. e., with the seeds growing in six rows) is the bear, or bigg barley. H. distichon, two-rowed, or common barley, is preferred for malting, which is one of the chief purposes for which barley is H. zeocriton, or sprat-barley, cultivated. H. zeo is more rare. Barley is the hardiest of all the cereals, and was originally a native of Asia, but it is now cultivated all over the world, even as far N. as Lapland. In ancient times, it was largely used as an article of food, but the greater proportion now grown is used in the preparation of malt and spirits. For culinary purposes, it is sold in two forms, Scotch or pot barley, and pearl barley, the former partially my deprived of its husk; the latter, with all the husk removed. Bread made from barley meal is darker in color and less nutritious than that made from wheat flour.