BAR 



BAR 



Soil. A sandy or calcareous soil^with 

 a dry subsoil, suits it best. 



Culture. It requires no other pruning 

 than such as is necessary to keep it 

 within bounds. As the fruit is very 

 tedious to gather, it is well to keep the 

 middle of the tree open by pruning, 

 somewhat like gooseberry pruning. 

 Their spines are so formidable that we 

 have known the common kinds used 

 with good effect to stop gaps in hedges, 

 liable to much trespass. 



Fruit. This is fully ripe in October, 

 and is gathered in entire bunches for 

 preserving, pickling, and candying. 



Diseases. It is liable to be infected 

 with a parasitical fungus, once believed 

 to be the same as that which is the 

 mildew on wheat ; but they are now 

 known to be different species. That 

 which preys upon the Barberry is Puc- 

 cinia, and that which attacks Wheat is 

 Uredo. 



BARBIE' m A. (Named after /. B. G. 

 Barbier, M.D., a French naturalist. 

 Nat. ord., Leguminous plants [Fabaceacj. 

 Linn., \1-Diadelphia^-decandria ; allied 

 to Cajanus). Stove evergreen shrub. 

 Cuttings of half ripened wood in sand, 

 under a glass ; sandy peat. Summer 

 temp., 68 to 85 ; winter, 50 to 55. 

 B. polyphff lla (many leaved) . Reddish purple. 

 Porto Rico. 1818. 



BARK. The refuse bark from the 

 tanner's yard is employed by the gar- 

 dener as a source of heat, and when 

 thoroughly broken down by putrefac- 

 tion, as a manure. 



As a source of Jieat, it is much less 

 used than formerly, flues, steam, and 

 the hot water system having very gone- 

 rally and most deservedly superseded it. 

 Bark for heating requires frequent stir- 

 ring and renewing, and if too much 

 moisture be added, is apt to give out an 

 excessive and irregular heat. In addi- 

 tion, it is a troublesome harbour for 

 predatory insects. 



Bark fresh from the tanyard being 

 thrown lightly together under a shed, 

 must be gently moistened if dry, and 

 turned over twice a-weck, to expose all 

 its particles to the air. Unless this be 

 done, the fermentation will not be gene- 

 ral or regular. This is to be continued 

 for a month or five weeks, in warm 



weather the shorter time being requisite; 

 and then, having acquired a general and 

 equal heat, it is ready for use in the 

 stove. Usually it will continue to afford 

 heat for a period varying between three 

 and six months, but sometimes ceases to 

 ferment without any apparent cause. 

 Whenever the heat declines, the tan 

 must be taken out, sifted, the dusty 

 parts removed, and some fresh tan added. 

 Sometimes turning the old tan and 

 moistening it will be sufficient. 



It is desirable, on the first formation 

 of a bed, to mix new and old tan to- 

 gether, in which case the quantity of 

 new bark to be brought into the pit will 

 depend upon the goodness of the bark, 

 and the bottom heat required. As much 

 new tan as will fill two third parts of 

 the bark-pit, with a mixture of old rot- 

 ten, reduced almost to earth, will pro- 

 duce a bottom heat of about 85 ; when 

 old tan with higher remains of strength 

 is used to modify the new, the same 

 heat may be produced if the quantity be 

 not more than half the capacity of the 

 pit. This refers to a new pit; after a 

 bark bed has been in action, partial re- 

 newals of bark to keep up the heat are 

 frequently sufficient in the reduced pro- 

 portion of one -third, one -sixth, one- 

 twelfth, or less. At intermediate stages 

 between the partial renewals, the bed 

 requires only to be excited to a brisker 

 fermentation by forking up. About 

 five-sevenths of the pit from the bottom 

 should be occupied by the new and old 

 tan as a fermenting body; and about 

 two-sevenths from the top, or a little 

 more than the depth of the pot, what- 

 ever that may be, should consist of old 

 tan incapable of heating, so as to burn 

 the roots of the plants; at least such 

 should be the ordinary distribution of 

 the tan; but where peculiar circum- 

 stances require a speedy augmentation 

 of heat without displacing the pots, and 

 when fruit is to be swelled off in the 

 last stage, the earthy tan at top may be 

 taken away, and new tan substituted. 



As a manure. See Vegetable Matters. 



BARK-BOUND. When a tree is affected 

 with this disease, cracks will appear in 

 it partially, and in the case of the Cherry, 

 Apricot, Peach, and Nectarine, gummy 

 discharge will follow. It is a sure in- 



