Bennett's of Ballinacurra Descriptive List (Ref. B609)

B609/

B609/7/B/6 Barley File, 1940-59. The file is broken into nine sub-sections of related documentation. 1. Conferences 1940-59. Conferences are on barley and experiments, and on wheat, oats, barley and cereals. There are also conferences on distribution and propagation of seed oats and barley. These are DoA events. 2. Barley Cultivation in Ireland, 1940-52. Statistical reports. 3. Large and small scale variety experiments, 1941-48. Statistical tables. 4. Scheme for Improvement of Seed Barley, 1941-51. Consists of DoA correspondence and related Cereal Station reports. 5. Propagations and experiments in cultivation of cereals, flax, and crops, Cereal Station, 1941-51. Includes DoA Seed Propagation Division Reports, and related weather reports. 6. Inspections of growing crops of barley, 1940-52. Consists of inspectors’ reports and related correspondence. 7. Seed barley, 1948-53. Includes testing reports, DoA seed scheme forms, and correspondence regarding the distribution of short-strawed barley seeds. 8. DoA correspondence, mainly regarding barley. Topics include scheme for distribution of pedigree seed, variety trials, and experiments. 1940-54. 9. Oats file, 1941-58. 9. Correspondence along similar lines to 8. above, with DoA, County Committees of Agriculture, agricultural colleges, and letters from commercial seed distributors. Also present are Seed Testing Station Reports, 1941-55. B609/7/B/7 Barley file, 1954-71. Headings include: A. General Correspondence; B. Accounts; C. Distribution of Pedigree Seed Barley; D. Small Scale Experiments; EF. Half Strip Drill Experiments; GH. Disinfectants; IJ. Large Scale Experiments; K. Correspondence regarding agreements and Department’s growers; L. [ ] Scheme; M. Conferences; NO. Scheme for Improvement of Barley; PQ. Material for Department’s Pamphlet; R. Annual Inspection, Inspections; S. Barley Cultivation in Ireland; TU. Material for Report of Seed Propagation Division; VW. Barley Varieties and Inspections of Growing Crops; XYZ. Germination Figures. The file is not as tidily arranged as the headings suggest, with A, B, C, M, NO, S, VW, and XYZ occurring as listed. Records relating to experiments are grouped under D-J and PQ. [See also B609/2/I/26-27 above] Technical Instruction, and the Seed and Plant Division, to JHB. Some letters from Cambridge School of Agriculture and from commercial customers also present. There is also a small sub-file of letters from DoA regarding trials into the Wolfryn Electro- Chemical Process of Treating Seed Grain (1918-20). The second main part is made up of reports and printed statements by JHB and DoA on barley cultivation, experiments, expenditure, and seasons (1920-35). Oats, flax and barley are all referred to, in addition to wheat. A statement headed ‘Barley in 1935’ begins ‘the 1935 barley probably provided the best malting quality ever known in Ireland, and extracts were higher than ever recorded’. The final part of the file consists of printed matter, mainly articles regarding barley cultivation. The file also contains a small notebook-diary, noting brief details of barley types planted and the quality of crop. B609/7/B/8 Wheat file, 1918-35. A mixed file, in three main parts, with much material relating to barley as well as to wheat. The first is correspondence, mainly letters from the Agricultural Branch of the Department of Agriculture and

150