THE BARBERRY. 441 
red colour. Hanging in clusters, these berries 
add much to the beauty of the Tree. 
The chief use of the wood of the Barberry is to 
furnish a yellow dye. In character, it is hard but 
brittle. Both the leaves and the fruit of this Tree 
—more particularly the fruit—are very acid. The 
latter, preserved in sugar, is agreeable to the taste 
and wholesome. In its green state it is some- 
times gathered, preserved in vinegar, and eaten in 
the same way as capers. 
A rapid grower and easy of cultivation, whether 
from seed or from its numerous suckers, the Bar- 
berry has ornamental qualifications which com- 
mend it to those who may appreciate its spreading 
beauty. In the woodland there is added to the 
reddish hue of its yellow, decaying foliage the 
abounding charm of its berries, clustered some- 
times so numerously upon its twigs as to give a 
distinct feature to the landscape. 
