The Barberry 391 



Phillips, writing in 1822, 1 quotes from another author as 

 follows: " Barberries are of an agreeable, cooling, astrin- 

 gent 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 an- 

 other 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 westward, 

 and is more or less widely planted elsewhere. Downing 

 gives it a brief notice 2 and Fuller 3 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 the purple-leaved species, Berberis 

 Thunbergii, known as the Japanese barberry, which has in- 

 ferior 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. Hoskins, of Vermont, who had 

 both growing, reported it far more productive than the 

 buffalo berry, adding that although his plants were set 



1 Pomarium Britanicum, p. 62. 



2 Fruits and Fruit Trees of Amer., p. 442. 



3 Small-Fruit Culturist, p. 20. 



