THE BARBERRY 509 



house called Mr. Monke, at a village called Iver two miles from 

 Colebrooke, where most of the hedges are nothing else but Bar- 

 berry bushes. They are planted in most of our English gardens." 



Among "The Vertues" ascribed to the plant, the following are 

 of special interest. "The leaves are used of divers to season meat 

 with, and instead of a sallad, as be those of Sorrell." After 

 enumerating various medicinal "vertues" he adds: "A conserve 

 made of the fruit and sugar performeth all those things before 

 remembered, & with better force and successe." 



Philips, writing in 1822,* quotes from another author as fol- 

 lows: "Barberries are of an agreeable, cooling, astringent taste, 

 which creates appetite." He further says: "Pickled barberries 

 make a handsome garnish for all white dishes, where acids can be 

 introduced: this fruit is also used for making syrup, lozenges, &c. 

 We have now several varieties of barberry -shrub cultivated in 

 England, one of which was brought from Candia in 1759, and 

 another from Siberia in 1790, but it possesses no advantage over 

 our native kind of this fruit." 



This common barberry of Europe, Berberis vulgaris, has 

 become naturalized in New England, and is more or less widely 

 planted elsewhere. Downing gives it a brief noticef and Fuller^ 

 enters into a somewhat extended discussion of it, mentioning a 

 number of species and varieties. 



It is chiefly planted for ornament, rather than fruit, and for 

 this purpose another species, B. Thunbergii, or purple-leaved 

 barberry, which has inferior fruit, is generally preferred. 



Downing says that "The barberry is too acid to eat, but it 

 makes an agreeable preserve and jelly, and an ornamental pickle 

 for garnishing some dishes." It comes into use later than the 

 currant and probably fills about the same place that the buffalo 

 berry might, were that more generally cultivated. Dr. Hoskins, of 

 Vermont, who has both growing, reports it far more productive 

 than the buffalo berry. He writes that although his plants were 

 set on the lawn for ornament, a good market has been found for 



* Pomarium Britanicum, p. 62. 



t Fruits and Fruit Trees of-Amer., p. 442. 



J Small-Fruit Culturist, p. 20. 



