158 Fruits and Fruit- Trees. 



brooke," "where most of the hedges are nothing else 

 but barberry bushes." The present infrequency in even 

 the semi-wild condition appears referable to the value, 

 real or imaginary, of the bark, in the eyes of the herbal- 

 ists, and to suspicions entertained by watchful farmers, 

 who consider it prejudicial to neighbouring cornfields. 

 In gardens it occurs under several different forms, one 

 with yellow fruit, another with white, and a third viola- 

 ceous. There is also a variety called dulcis, the berries 

 of which are larger and less acid, said to be of Austrian 

 origin; and a very handsome one with foliage of the 

 colour of the copper beech, called purpurea. Upon old 

 plants the berries are apt to be stoneless. These indi- 

 viduals constitute the form called asperma; and though 

 in all the varieties well worth collecting, it is the fruit of 

 these which should always be sought for the preparation 

 of jelly and preserving in general. Boiled with sugar, it 

 is excellently palatable. It is from the asperma that the 

 delicious confitures tfepine vinette, for which Rouen is so 

 celebrated, are most usually prepared. The same are 

 sometimes employed in England for the cores of a very 

 nice description of sugar-plum. Birds seldom touch the 

 berbery, apparently because too acid for them. 



Several other species of Berberis, several, also, of the 

 sub-genus Mahonia, distinguished by its pinnate leaves, 

 produce fruit in great abundance, but it is rarely eat- 

 able. The Mahonia Aquifolium loads itself with bunches 

 resembling little grapes, and in the highest degree orna- 

 mental. The Berberis Darwinii is not more distinguished 



