Barberry and Its Relation to Stem Rust. 65 
of rust, and the barberry bushes were all covered with aecidia. By the 
first week in July the wheat field was also well rusted. * * *” 
The survey made last summer in the northern part of the State and 
in a few districts of the southern part showed that prevalence of the 
stem rust of wheat followed closely the distribution of the barberries. 
In sections having large numbers of barberry bushes there was a com- 
paratively heavy rust infection, while in sections where no barberries 
were found little or no rust was observed. In every instance where a 
severe rust infection was reported and investigated there was no diffi- 
culty in locating barberry bushes in the immediate or near vicinity of 
the damaged fields. 
The following specific cases, investigated last summer, are presented 
to show the guilt of the barberry in spreading the stem rust of wheat 
in Indiana: 
Case 1. Franklin County. A barberry bush was growing in the 
yard of Ed. Heap’s farm near Drewersburg. Another bush was growing 
in the corner of a field across the road from the house. Mr. Heap’s 
and two of his neighbors’ wheat fields were very heavily rusted. The 
grain from these fields was refused by the local dealers as being worth- 
less for milling purposes, and the County Agricultural Agent had to 
obtain a special permission from the County Food Administrator to 
allow the farmers to feed this grain to their stock. It was very notice- 
able in this case that practically all infection took place on the wind- 
ward side of the barberries. 
Case 2. Franklin County. Several barberries were found on the 
farm of Bradbury Hudson, several miles from Brookville. Other bushes 
are said to be growing in this neighborhood. All wheat in this com- 
munity was reported by Mr. Hudson to be badly rusted. 
Case: St: Joseph County. The following paragraph appears in 
the annual report, for 1918, of the Agricultural County Agent, J. S. 
Bordner: “In 1915 an urgent request came from Madison Township to 
come to the farm of Jonas Loucks, where an entire field of wheat had 
been ruined by some disease. Investigation showed the most pronounced 
attack of black rust which the writer had ever seen. Additional inves- 
tigation showed infection in other fields, but not as pronounced, because 
most of the wheat of the neighborhood matured from four to ten days 
earlier than this particular field. Damage from red and black rust has 
been found each season in this community. This year an organized 
effort was made to locate the source of infection. The accompanying 
cuts speak for themselves. The barberry was found red-handed. One 
barberry hedge several rods in length has been responsible for the pres- 
ence of rust in the entire surrounding country, the actual damage 
ranging from 2% to 50%, the field adjoining the barberry hedge sus- 
5—16568 
