THE BARBERRY AND ITS RELATION TO THE STEM RUST OF 
WHEAT IN INDIANA. 
F. J. PIPAL, Purdue University. 
It has now been over 250 years since the European farmers began 
to observe that the common barberry bush (Berberis vulgaris) had 
harmful effects upon the grain fields, particularly those of wheat, 
through severe rusting of the straw, and causing considerable shriveling 
of the grain. As early as 1660 a law was passed against it in the 
district of Rouen, France.’ In later years, as the barberry was intro- 
duced into other European countries, frequent complaints were made by 
the farmers that the bush was responsible for a great deal of injury to 
the grain growing in its vicinity. One writer (Djorup*) remarks in 
this connection: “Many of the inhabitants reaped only straw, which, 
of course, could not be thrashed.” In many instances the barberries 
were eradicated, either voluntarily or through force of law, or by the 
injured farmers themselves. There was no consensus of opinion, how- 
ever, as to the guilt or the innocence of the barberry, and, as Lind 
relates in his article, a rather dramatic war was waged over the ques- 
tion. In 1863 DeBary finally demonstrated, through cross-inoculations, 
that one stage (aecial) of the stem rust of wheat (Puccinia graminis) 
passed its life on the leaves of the barberries. Even after this dis- 
covery, however, it was not agreed that the barberry was in any way 
responsible for the rust infection, and not until about thirty years ago 
was this fact generally accepted by the botanical profession. 
During the seventeenth century the barberry was introduced into 
America, where it is now used extensively as an ornamental shrub. 
It is of interest to note that a law was passed against it in Connecticut 
in 1726, and in Massachusetts in 1755. It is doubtful, however, if the 
laws were ever enforced. 
Owing to a lack of definite information regarding the extent to which 
the common barberry and its purple-leaved variety were responsible for 
the stem rust infection in this country, no special effort was made here- 
tofore to bring about the eradication of this shrub. The great World 
War and the urgent need of food presented an opportunity to bring up 
the question of the eradication of the barberry, which, it was believed, 
would reduce stem rust infection and save millions of bushels of valu- 
1J. Lind, Berberisbusken, og Berberisloven. Denmark, 1915. 
> Quoted in Lind’s article. See note 1. 
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