THE BARBERRY IN IOWA 201 



killed dead, the injury shading off one-half to three-fourths of a 

 niilc south and west. North and east was prairie. Wheat generally 

 Miffered from rust, but that near the hedge to a far greater extent. 

 In 1876, oats near it were utterly killed and. left on the ground, the 

 injury gradually shading off as before and disappearing at from 

 one-half to three-fourths of a mile, and the barberry was beheaded 

 as a criminal, not fit to live, with what justice this Society may 

 decide. I will only add that nothing appeared in soil or location to 

 account for the phenomenon. I know of no other trial of barberry 

 as a hedge plant." 



In regard to the relation of rust Captain Watrous said : "Of the 

 barberry as a hedge plant, I know but little. But the very habit of 

 its growth convinces me that it will answer the purpose. I have 

 one plant in my yard which is a special favorite ; year after year 

 this barberry bush is the favorite meeting place of the Brown 

 Thrush. It stands not sixty feet from my door, and I believe, with- 

 out this bush, I w^ould not have the benefit of its morning song." 



Mr. Briggs, of Wyoming, Iowa, in 1879, made the following in- 

 teresting comment. "The barberry has astonished us in its results 

 in growing into a good hedge. I have 20 rods of barberry hedge 

 near my house, which is now eight years from the seed (this would 

 make the date of introduction 1871) and as firm and strong as any 

 farmer could desire, and a very thing of beauty, being wxll trimmed. 

 On this hedge I have never known a twig injured by winter. But 

 there is one great drawback to it in my opinion. Since the starting 

 of ths hedge, I have not known a square rod of wheat or oats within 

 half a mile of it that was worth the harvesting. Invariably a black 

 rust strikes the grain before ripening that prevents maturing of the 

 grain. I think there is no question about this matter, as I have 

 watched it for six or seven years at my own cost, and to some 

 extent, my neighbors, and I have observed that in a field of grain 

 growing near the hedge, the further I go from the hedge the less 

 the damage from rust. On this account I do not dare recommend it 

 for a farm fence. "^^ He did, however, recommend it for ornamental 

 purposes. J. W. Whiting,-" reflecting perhaps the opinion of Prof. 

 J. L. Budd, in 1878 states that the buckthorn and barberry were 

 good hedge plants. Mr. Samuel Bowers-^ also gives testimony of 

 the growing of the barberry on his place in 1878. 



In a discussion on the subject of "Diseases of Plants"" Dr. C. E. 

 Bessey in 1881 comments as follows. "In the spring the leaves of 



loRep. la. Hort. Soc. 1879; 348. 

 20Rep. la. State Hort. Soc. 187S; 326. 

 2iRep. la. State Hort. Soc. 187S; 1.53. 

 22Rep. la. State Hort. Soc. 1883; 95, 96. 



