196 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE Vol. XXVI, 1919 



Caragana (Professor Budd) were less frequently mentioned. It is, 

 however, interesting to note the opinion of some nurserymen who 

 were adverse to the use of the barb wire. For instance in the report 

 of 1880 Mr. Dickey^ said: "The repairing costs much more than 

 the time required to cultivate and trim the hedge." 



Professor J. L. Budd distributed several Asiatic species rather 

 widely, among them the B. anmrensis and B. Thunbergii but he was 

 probably not the original introducer of the Japanese barberry in 

 Iowa, as the letter from Mr. M. J. Wragg indicates that his father 

 purchased his stock from the Arnold Arboretum in 1868. The B. 

 amurensis and B. Thunbergii were on the college grounds at Ames 

 when the author came here in 1889. The plants were then about 

 ten years old, making the date of planting about 1879. In the 

 report of the State Horticultural Society for 1881, there is this 

 note by Professor Budd.^ 



"We have introduced from China two distinct species of barberry 

 said to have nearly sweet fruit of which raisins are made in that 

 country. We have not seen the fruit, but can say the plants are 

 interesting on account of their freedom of fungus, while our common 

 species this season are badly afiflicted. The new species are richly 

 worth trial." This note establishes the fact that one of the bar- 

 berries introduced by Professor Budd was the B. Thunbergii, the 

 other probably B. amurensis, and also that B. vulgaris was growing 

 on the grounds. The bush of the common barberry referred to 

 was still there in 1889, in front of what is now Morrill Hall. 



As to the early planting of the common barberry in Iowa there 

 is much uncertainty. It appears that there are three phases to its 

 introduction: (1 the pioneer planting because of the old New Eng- 

 land associatons, (2) the "living fence" as hedge planting to turn 

 stock, (3) the ornamental planting. The first period falls before 

 1868 and few plants were planted in this way. The second period 

 falls between 1868 and 1878, the last being the year in which barb 

 wire became quite general in use. Mr. M. W. Robinson mentions 

 the use of the wire fence in 1871.^ The author states in this article 

 that it may become the fence of the prairie. The zeal in planting and 

 taking care of hedges was flagging in 1878, according to G. H. 

 Little.* 



iRep. la. State Hort. Soc. 1«8«; 582. 



=Rep. la. iState Hort. Soc. 1JS.S1; 378. 



•''Pencing in Iowa, Rep. Iowa State Agii. Soc. ISTl; 268. 



*Rep. la. State Agrl. Soc. 1H7H; 745. 



