,
I cannot help thinking that, in this country, it is much more
intimately connected with it than one would, at a first view, incline
to suppose, and for the following reasons; first, Because the proper
cultivation of barley is not generally known, save in the eastern
states, and but very little raised in any of the others; secondly,
Without good barley it is impossible to make good malt, consequently,
good beer--and it must be acknowledged, that a great proportion of the
barley that is raised, even in the eastern states, is but very
imperfectly suited to the purposes of the brewery, being what is termed
winter barley, and generally a poor, thin, lank grain, by no means
qualified to make good malt. This is so well known in England, that it
is very rarely met with in the barley markets, and seldom, or ever,
purchased by a brewer. The summer, or spring barley, always getting the
preference, being the largest bodied grain, and, of course, the best
suited to the purposes of making prime malt, the want of which, is
frequently severely felt by the brewers of this country, from the
impossibility they often find themselves in of procuring good barley,
being obliged to use such as they can get, which, for the most part, is
very ill suited to their purpose. It will be, then, their interest to
give every encouragement to the farmer to raise spring barley in
preference to the winter, to procure the best seed, of that
description, that he can find, to clean it well, to steep it in well or
spring water for twelve hours, stirring it frequently from the bottom
of the tub or vessel all around; and previous to each stirring, all the
floating grains, seed weeds, &c., should be carefully skimmed off: thus
nothing will remain for seed but sound and perfect grain. The first
water should be drawn off at the end of six hours, and immediately
replaced by fresh; this again drawn off at the end of six hours more;
it should be sown, broad cast, the following day, being first
previously mixed with a sufficient quantity of wood ashes to dry it as
much as will be necessary for the purpose of sowing. Thus managed, if
the ground be in proper tilth, and fitly prepared, this grain will make
its appearance the fifth or sixth day after sowing; whereas, if the
seed be sown dry, it will probably be three weeks or more before it
comes up, particularly if the season be dry. I cannot more forcibly
recommend this practice than by giving a brief sketch of an exper