TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENOES. 239 



or break large numbers of limbs 

 laden with bunches of berries 

 in order to peal them off afterward. 

 This breaking of the branches 

 is very injurious to the future 

 welfare of the bush, and adds to 

 the gradual extermination of this 

 useful bush, and it can wholly 



regions north-west of San Antonio. 

 The berry-bearing agarifa bushes 

 were at that time so fully laden 

 with the red berries that the 

 branches drooped low to the ground 

 and could be seen for a long 

 distance. 



In driving along our roads where 



A Contortion of Agarita and Persimmon Branches 



be avoided, simply by placing a 

 large cloth, or an umbrella below 

 the lowest branches near the ground 

 and gently striking the branches 

 or limbs with a stick — as seen in 

 the photograph prepared by the 

 writer last summer, in the hilly 



the Agarita plants grow in the 

 near vicinity of the city, often 

 numbers of broken-off and dried 

 agarita branches can be noticed 

 scattered around; and it would 

 have been much better to gather 

 the berries according to the de- 



