13 



neighbourhood of infected wheat-fields by some of the reporters, 

 who, however, do not seem to attach much importance to their 

 presence. Mr. Ellis, of West Barsham, reports that there are no 

 barberry trees near, but their evil effects have been noted in the 

 neighbouring district, but for several years the trees have not been 

 permitted to grow. " My opinion," he says, " is that the mildew 

 attacks are always rendered more virulent by the presence of the 

 barberry. In a field of some forty acres a few years ago one 

 hedge contained about seven barberry bushes, each of these most 

 seriously affected a space in the form of an equilateral triangle ; 

 where the base was some forty yards wide with the bush midway, 

 and the apex some 100 yards into the field, there the effect 

 seemed to die away. The remainder of the field was quite free 

 from blight." Mr. Kimber, of Fyfield Wick, has no barberry 

 trees growing near his land, but he remarks that he had a 

 farm for many years in the adjoining parish on which there 

 were two light sandy fields one lying on the east side and one 

 on the west side of a garden shrubbery in which a barberry tree 

 was growing. These fields when in wheat were often affected by 

 mildew, and he noticed that the attack always began in a small 

 spot in either field on the side adjoining the shrubbery, and 

 gradually spread itself from those points. 



Mr. Charles Howard has a barbery tree growing in his 

 quite half a mile away from the wheat fields. He 

 " In my case it does not appear that the mil( 

 be caused by this single bush at such a distanc^ 

 beginning of this century, Batchelor, in his book of B^ 

 gives the experience of several persons upon this 

 appears that the wheat was only affected when 

 proximity to the barberry bushes which were in the he 



Of infected wheat land, near Lymington, Hants, 

 writes : " Barberry trees or shrubs are present in adjoining 

 hedgerows, but are not very abundant. Wheat generally shows 

 symptoms of attack at outsides, or near to hedges, first, indicat- 

 ing that uredospores are carried by the wind from hedges or 

 other foul sources. Where barberry plants have been seen to 

 be badly affected by ascidio-spores, if there is wheat near, an 

 attack of mildew of greater or less severity, according to the 

 season, has been seen to follow." One reporter, Mr. Galpin, of 

 Blandford, who has given much practical information, remarks 

 that his farm when he took it had been " beggared out, as they 

 say." He states that there were several barberry bushes in the 

 hedges. These he roote'd out, and the farm, although naturally 

 poor, is not nearly so liable to blight as it used to be. He adds : 

 " With regard to the connection between barberry bushes and 

 mildew I am not qualified to speak, but believing there to be 

 some connection between the two, I thought it best to get rid 

 of the barberries. I have noticed very little mildew in barberry 

 bushes this year. My own opinion is that the best way to 

 combat mildew in wheat is to farm high and sow early." 



Messrs. Maiden report that wild barberry, and many other 

 species of Berberis, are very commonly found in the gardens, 



