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

B609/

April 1934]. A letter of 7 April discusses the theory of vernalisation of winter wheats sown in spring. A letter of 26 January 1934 informs Bennett he is permitted to supply Class A seed barley to E. Smitwick & Sons, Brewers, Kilkenny. Also present is a report of seed barley costs at Charleston Maltings, 1933/34 (January 1934). A letter of 31 December 1933 concerns experiments on leaf stripe disease. A letter of 13 December states that in future the product ‘Agrosan’ is to be used in place of ‘Abavit’ in treating seed barley. In a letter of 18 September, GS Philpotts states ‘I’m afraid that it looks as if you will get hardly any barley in your district at all this year. Of course the competition of the millers added to that of the brewers and distillers is much too great’. A letter of 4 September refers to testing and passing of commercial seed under the scheme of distribution of the Irish Maltsters [Association]. the lowest for very many years’. A letter of 21 January sets forth the AGS view on the sale of seed barley to interests other than farmers; in general, they are against it, and feel such seed should be obtained from the [Department of Agriculture] Cereal Station. Other letters in this month concern whether JHB should register itself as a dealer in oats and an importer of malting coal for licensing purposes. A letter of 12 December 1934 enquires after Mr Bennett’s health. A letter of 6 November concerns testing of barley from Denmark, and the supply of pedigree seed to Messrs Christensen there. In a letter of 5 October some barley of high moisture is requested for an experiment and it is noted ‘we gather that you expect supplies that you get locally in future will be at a high moisture’. A letter of 27 September informs Mr Bennett of the death of Mr Peake, formerly of the Malt Department. A letter of 19 September refers to weekly barley reports, stating the weather and percentage of barley still in field [these reports sought regularly at harvest time; see B609/2/C below]. B609/1/A/18 Letters from AGS, 1 September 1934 to 31 August 1935. Many of the letters in this file are directed to Miss McNeill. A letter of 18 June 1935 relates to the 40% decrease in sales of seed barley this year: ‘the total is B609/1/A/19 Letters from AGS, 1 September 1935 to 31 August 1936. Present is a letter from JHB to AGS, signed by D Trevor McNeill, Director. On the letterhead, Mr John H Bennett’s name has been crossed out as a director [deceased]. Mrs E.F. Bennett is the other named director. In a letter of 22 July, C Buttanshaw of the Malt Dept comments on the slight increase in barley in the Ballinacurra area, and notes ‘wheat goes from strength to strength: is there going to be a 4 th year of perfect conditions for it, I wonder?’. Among June letters are seed barley figures 1935/36 for Charleston Maltings. In a letter of 11 March, Buttanshaw explains ‘the modus operandi in regard to smut tests’. Present is a copy of a letter from Buttanshaw to Dr Hunter, School of Agriculture, Cambridge, explaining that the Department of Agriculture is unwilling to allow any pedigree seed to go out of the country. A letter of 29 February seeks clarification of the genealogy of seed barley distributed by JHB. A letter of 12 February relates to damage to a JHB malthouse owing to inclement weather. A letter of 14 December 1935 concerns sending of barrels of malt to the new AGS brewery at Park Royal, London. A letter of 11 November relates to