ERADICATING THE COMMON BARBERRY 9 
These two cases are typical of all extensive areas of escaped 
barberries growing in heavy soil or rocky land, where the eradi- 
cation by digging has been attempted in the 13 States engaged 
in the work. Very few such cases have come to the attention of 
the writers where complete eradication has even been approached 
by one digging. However, in light sandy loam in a thick woodland 
where the barberries have not reached a very large size or in very 
sandy situations one digging often has proved very successful. The 
lollowing is an illustration of such a case. 
In Allegan County, Mich., a barberry hedge about 1,800 feet 
long was found growing in almost pure sand on an abandoned farm. 
This hedge was dug late in August, 1922. The bushes were cut 
into sections and teams were employed to pull them out. The roots 
were then dug by hand, after which the tops and roots were piled 
at one side and burned. The cost was as follows: 
Team, 43 hours at 67.7 cents $29.11 
Labor, 294 hours at 43 cents 126.42 
Incidental expenses, including subsistence and transporta- 
tion of crew 121. 87 
Total cost 277.40 
Estimating one barberry for each foot of hedge, there were 1,800 
bushes, and the average eradication cost per bush was 15.4 cents. 
Less than a dozen sprouts appeared in 1923. A few of the bushes 
were not burned, and many of these took root and grew. 
DESTRUCTION OF SPROUTS 
Any attempt to kill a common barberry bush by occasionally 
cutting it down to the ground is futile. This procedure has been 
tried repeatedly with no apparent success. Cases have been ob- 
served where bushes that were growing in a lawn were cut down 
and thereafter the sprouts were kept cut with a lawn mower. They 
continued to develop for several years, gradually getting so tough 
that the lawn mower failed to cut them, and they again had to 
be cut out with an ax. If all sprouts were cut before they 
reached the surface of the ground, undoubtedly the roots could be 
starved out. Apparently this never has been attempted; conse- 
quently it is problematical how much time the operation would take. 
Grazing often has been suggested as a means of destroying sprouts 
and killing the roots. Grazing by sheep or goats might do 
this effectively, but the writers have no knowledge of its ever having 
been successfully tried. Cattle will not destroy sprouts, although 
they occasionally browse on the tops. Hogs do not root up the 
sprouts and roots. 
Many attempts have been made to kill the roots by cutting down 
the bushes and piling the tops, together with straw and brush, on 
the crown and burning them. In a few instances this has been suc- 
cessful, but more often it has failed. Even when such a procedure 
has been repeated two or three years in succession, sprouts haA T e 
occurred, and digging or chemicals finally were required. 
If it is possible to put barberry-infested land under cultivation, 
eradication is simple. This shrub will not grow long in a cultivated 
field, and a } T ear or two of cultivation will see the last of the sprouts. 
4197— 2G- 2 
