178 



THE BARBERRY. 



of the Barberry, and cannot fail to touch some 

 one or other of the stamens, which instantane- 

 ously springs forward from the shelter of its 

 petal, and sheds a portion of the pollen on the 

 pistil. Thus, the apparent defects in the har- 

 mony of nature are, if looked into, found to be 

 occasions of displaying the unerring wisdom of 

 the Supreme Creator. 



The berries of the Barberry are oblong, and 

 when ripe, scarlet, and covered with a bloom like 

 that of the plum. They are intensely acid, so 

 much so as to be refused by birds ; they there- 

 fore remain a long time on the tree, and when 

 produced in abundance are very ornamental. 



The inner bark and wood are bitter and astrin- 

 gent, and of a bright yellow colour, which may 

 be extracted, and furnishes good dye. The leaves 

 are acid, but are not now applied to any use. 

 The berries, preserved in various ways, are made 

 into jelly, comfits, cooling drinks, and pickles. 

 For these purposes a variety is preferred which 

 bears seedless berries, 



A notion was formerly prevalent that the Bar- 

 berry caused mildew or rust in corn, and con- 

 sequently many persons destroyed it whenever it 

 was found growing near arable land. Botanists, 

 however, have sufficiently proved that the orange- 

 coloured mildew, which infests the leaves of the 

 Barberry, though nearly of the same colour as the 

 mildew of corn, is totally different from it, and 

 cannot be transferred to any other plant.* It is, 



* The mildew of wheat is not produced by a superficial fungus like 

 an Erisyphe (the rust of the Barberry), but an intestinal fungus of the 

 genus Puccinia^ and consequently to place such leaves among wheat 

 is not likely to injure it." — Gardeners* Chronicle, 



