THE BARBERRY. 47 



CHAPTER III 

 The Barberry. 



THE COMMON BARBBRBY (Berberis vulgaris) is a deciduous 

 shrub, growing 8ft. to loft, high, and exists in a wild 

 state in this country, as well as in other parts of Europe 

 and in North America. It is now grown chiefly in gardens 

 as a flowering shrub. 



The flowers are yellow, borne in pendant racemes in 

 spring, and the stamens possess the peculiar property of 

 striking themselves against the pistil when touched. The 

 flowers are succeeded by oblong, narrow berries, which 

 when ripe are of a brilliant scarlet hue. They ripen in 

 the autumn. The berries are too acid to eat in a raw 

 state, but when made into a jelly they make a most deli- 

 cious preserve. The green berries, too, may be pickled 

 in vinegar, and in this form make an excellent appetiser 

 for use with cold meats. 



Culture. One or two bushes grown in the shrubbery 

 or in any odd corner will give an ample supply of berries. 

 Ordinary soil will suffice. Plant in autumn or winter. 

 The shrub is easily increased by seeds sown when ripe 

 in the open ground, or by suckers or division of the roots 

 in autumn. To ensure plenty of fruit, grow the shrub 

 with a single main stem, and keep all suckers removed ; 

 also prune back any straggly branches in winter. 



Varieties. The best kind for general cultivation is the 

 Common Barberry. There is a stoneless or seedless form 

 of it, but this only occurs in the case of old plants. 



