Ramsey: The Swazey Barberry 



427 



A NEGLECTED FRUIT OF WESTERN TEXAS 



Berberis Swazeyi, which grows wild in western Texas, merits attention because of its orna- 

 mental appearance, and the economic value of its edible berries, which are sometinies more than 

 half an inch in diameter. It can be grown on almost any type of soil; it is not injured by zero 

 temperatures, and it is very resistant to drouth. (Fig. 24.) 



matures in April and May. The ripen- 

 ing period of Swazeyi extends to the 

 end of June. 



By spreading a sheet on the ground 

 and cutting branches and whipping 

 them together or paddhng with a 

 shingle, it takes but a few minutes to 

 gather a gallon or a bushel of the ber- 

 ries. They make exquisite jelly. 



The berries of Berberis Swazeyi are 

 twice as large as those of B. trifoliolata, 

 many of them measuring slightly 

 over half an inch in diameter. 



The bushes always bear some berries 

 and rarely miss a full crop. I know 

 one wild bush that has borne three 

 gallons every^ year for thirty years 

 except one. 



