Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 1, 1802).djvu/282

252&#93; ■5 EER though well known to botanists, is not familiar to every farmer. When growing in the hedges near corn- fields, it changes the ears to a dark brown colour, and prevents them from filling 3 nay, its influence in ibis respect has often extended across a field to the distance of three or four hundred yards : it should, therefore, be carefully eradicated from lands appropriated to tillage. It is eaten by cows, sheep, and goats, but rejected by swine. BERE, or Barley-big, or Sq'u&re Barley, is a very strong luxuriant plant, both in grain and straw : it resembles barley in growth, and cone- wheat in size. It is generally cultivated in Ireland, for malt, in the best and richest soil, usually after potatoes : the time of sowing- is between Michaelmas and Christ- mas, at the rate of one barrel, which is two humired weight, to an Irish acre ; and its produce is said to be, generally, from twenty to twenty- five barrels an acre. Two bushels and a half of s< ed to an English acre, will be in the same propor- tion. For die information of those readers who are not acquainted with the difference in the measure- ment of land, we shall observe, that rive Irish are equal to eight English acres and fifteen perches, or 70,500 feet to an Irish, and 43.o60 feet to an English, acre. The culture of bere is recom- mended in this country — 1. Be- cause it will succeed extremely well in any soil fit to produce a crop of bailey, and even on cold stiff lands, where barky will not thrive: 2. As it ripens from one to three weeks sooner than any other grain: 3. It may, if generally cultivated, be in- troduced into our malt-distilleries, not only instead of bark)', but, what is of much greater import- BER anc°, as a substitute for wheat, of" which so much is used in these ma- nufactories: and, lastly, it may, with great advan ige, be given to swine, instead of barley-meal. Moreover, it has been asserted, that an acre of land will yield more of this g:a:n than of barley. Bere labours under the disad- vantage of not being easily cleared of its anus, or beard. This has been imputed to carelessness in cleans- ing, or preserving it from moisture in t;,e stacks ; but the difficulty is more probably owing to the grain being cut down before it is tho- roughly ripe. — If sown earlier than usuaL it is stiii more productive. A correspondent, in a letter to the editors of the " Museum Rust!- cum," See. mentions a curious cir- cumstance respecting the cultiva- tion of this grain: " Amongst some wheat," says he, " that was sown last year, a small quantity of bere happened to be mixed ; all of which bere is now in the ear, and in the most flourishing condition I ever beheld : even the long-continued easterly wind has not in the least afFe&ed it ; and we may expect it to be ripe very soon. I could earn- estly desire some of your readers to try this experiment, and shall endeavour to have it done myself. There are many of your readers who would be glad that this grain had a better character, as to its cl anliness ; and I am persuaded it would come into great esteem every where." BERGAMOT, a variety cf the citron, produced by grafting the latter on the stock of a bergamot- pear-tree. The fruit has an exqui- site smell and flavour ; and its es- se ice is h'g as a per- fume. 3t is extract; d from the rind of the fruit, by cutting it into small
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