Barley 1880 - 1914

Britain had become dependent on the import of foreign grain. Approximately a third of the barley consumed was imported. The price of barley was falling right up until the outbreak of WW I.

The types of barley grown fell into three groups:

Barley types
Latin name	type
Hordeum hexastichum	six-row barley
Hordeum vulgare
Hordeum distichum	two-row barley
Hordeum zeocriton
Hordeum coeleste	naked barley
Hordeum nudum
Source:
"The Brewing Industry" by Julian L. Baker, 1905, page 14.

Large quantities of foreign barley were imported into Britain for malting. California and the Mediterranean were the main sources of cheaper malt. Top-quality, very pale malt, was made from barley imported from central Europe, usually Bohemia, Moravia or the Saale district. The latter were mostly used in the best Pale Ales, such as Bass.

Mediterranean barley, often given the generic name of Smyrna, was extremely popular because of its price and adaptability. It was widely used in Light Pale Ales, though not the poshest examples. According to Barnard, beers benefitted from its use:

“all beers are cleaner, sounder and more brilliant when a portion of Smyrna malt is blended with the heavier English grain.”

In addition, Smyrna malt was the most economical available.

Home production and imports of barley 1880 - 1914
			Average Price per Cwt.
Year	Acreage	Estimated Produce Cwts.	s.	d.	Imports Cwts.	Import %	Total cwts.
1880	2,695,000	19,315,629	9	3	11,705,290	37.73%	31,020,919
1885	2,446,868	38,268,586	8	5	15,366,160	28.65%	53,634,746
1890	2,300,994	36,068,538	8	0	16,677,988	31.62%	52,746,526
1895	2,346,367	38,268,586	6	2	28,618,867	42.79%	66,887,453
1900	2,172,129	30,600,842	7	0	17,189,358	35.97%	47,790,200
1904	2,002,854	27,881,018	6	3	27,173,455	49.36%	55,054,473
1905	1,872,305	29,019,446	6	10	21,458,960	42.51%	50,478,406
1906	1,931,651	30,124,861	6	9	19,934,500	39.82%	50,059,361
1907	1,885,359	29,951,882	7	0	19,627,620	39.59%	49,579,502
1908	1,824,410	27,486,114	7	3	18,137,200	39.75%	45,623,314
1909	1,829,933	30,778,907	7	6	21,556,470	41.19%	52,335,377
1910	1,899,130	28,144,864	6	6	18,281,500	39.38%	46,426,364
1911	1,756,000	25,000,000	-	-	-		-
1914	1,871,166	32,262,712	7	7	16,944,422	34.43%	49,207,134
Sources:
Brewers' Almanack 1912, page 158.
Brewers' Almanack 1922, page 118.
Brewers' Almanack 1955, page 66.