I. The effect of excessive soil moisture(at the time of germination) on germination of barley and crop damage of herbicides was investigated. Machete(Butachlor) and TOK(Nitrofen) were treated, respectively, at the rate of 150g ai/10a on each pot whose different soil moisture content was controlled by suppling 30, 40, 50 and 60ml of water per 100gr of air-dried soil, respectively. The results are summarized as follows: 1. Excessive soil moisture beyond field moisture capacity caused great inhibition, from 20 to 100%, of the germination of barley even at untreated pots(check pots). Also, further development of root and growth of barley were greatly inhibited even though the seeds germinated. 2. The same tendency in inhibition of germination and growth as at untreated pots was observed at treated pots, too. As a whole, however, the damage were heavier at treated pots. II. Wanju naked spring barley was seeded on four different soils and covered with soil to a depth of 1 em, and then Machete, TOK, Saturn and HE-314 were treated at the rate of 180, 150 and 200, 150, and 250g ai/10a, respectively, and the effect of soil texture on crop damage of the herbicides was investigated. The results are summarized as follows: 1. Machete(emulsion and granule, at 180g ai/10a) The degree of crop damage was quite different from one soil texture to another: while almost no crop damage was observed on a clay loam soil regardless of the type of formulation, the damage became heavier as the soil texture became sandier as sandy clay loam, volcanic ash loam and sandy loam, and great inhibition of growth was observed on sandy loam soil. In general heavier damage was caused by the application of emulsion than by granular formulation. 2. TOK(Wettable powder, at 150, 250g ai/l0a) Almost the same tendency as in the application of Machete was observed, and the damage became heavier as the application rate increased. 3. Saturn(at l50g ai/l0a) No great difference in crop damage among soil textures was observed. 4. HE-3l4(at 250g ai/l0a) Almost no difference in crop damage among soil textures was observed at this rate of 250g ai/l0a. III. To study a difference of crop damage on soil covering depth(4 levels), 9 herbicides(TOK, MO, HE-3l4, Machete, Saturn, Simetryne, Simazine, Gesaran, Lorox) were treated on the pots with two different soils, and the effect of soil covering depth on crop damage of the herbicides was investigated. The results obtained in this experiment are summarized as follows: Light Clay Soil 1. The growth of barley in relation to depth of soil covering at check pots followed the order vigorous to weak; lcm>1.5cm>0.5cm>0cm. And in case of 0 and 0.5cm covering the growth of barley was very poor. 2. The damage at 0 and 0.5cm covering at treated pots was very severe, but Saturn, Machete, MO and TOK at 100 to l50g ai/l0a, respectively and He-3l4 at 250 to 375g ai/l0a were relatively safe to barley at the depths of lcm and above. 3. Simazine, Lorox and Simetryne caused slight damage even at 1.5cm covering. Sandy Loam Soil The growth of barley in relation to depth of soil covering at untreated pots followed the order, from vigorous to weak; 1.5cm 0.5cm 3cm 5cm. While MO was safe to barley at 1.5cm covering, for other chemicals more than 3cm covering was require for safe use. Machete and Saturn at 100g ai/l0a, and HE-3l4 at 250g ai/l0a was relatively safe at more than 3cm covering. Simazine, Lorox, Simetryne and Gesaran were unsafe on sandy soil regardless of covering depth.