ORNAMENTAL DECIDUOUS SHRUBS. 97 
confined situations, and its blossoms are followed by fruit often 
very palatable in the month of June. 
There is also a variety of this with the young wood of a dark 
red or blood color, but its flowers and fruit are less abundant. 
Any good soil not wet suits them. 
The Berberry — Berberis . — There are quite a number of 
varieties of the barberry, all pleasing, ornamental shrubs growing 
from four to ten feet high, but bearing the shears so well that 
they may be kept at just any height desired. Massed in a group 
composed of the varieties, and planting the purple-leaved as the 
center or background, and interspersing occasionally the varie- 
gated-leaved, a good effect is produced without the aid of other 
shrubs. In spring, or the month of May, their flowers are yellow 
or deep orange, borne in pendant racemes, followed by bright 
scarlet or purple fruit, which if left will hang on nearly or quite 
all winter As a fancy screen hedge the barberry answers 
admirably, and a pretty effect is created by interspersing along 
the row an occasional plant of the purple-leaved, variegated- 
leaved, etc. A rich deep loam is best fitted for the barberry, 
but it will grow anywhere if the soil is not wet. 
The Buckthorn — RJiamnus . — -As a hedge plant, the buck- 
thorn — rhamnus catharticus — has no superior, if indeed it has 
an equal. The plant is perfectly hardy ; never suckers ; roots 
extend but a little distance, and being of fibrous nature do not 
interfere with the growing of anything even to within a foot of 
the hedge. It grows in any soil, and no animal, unless it is the 
goat, feeds upon its leaves ; nor is it attacked by insects. Its 
foliage is of a dark rich green, put on early in spring and 
retained late in autumn. As an ornamental plant for large 
groups, or even planted singly, it is very desirable from the 
habit it can be made to take ; the dark rich green of its leaf, 
the white clusters of flowers in spring, arfd the dark blue fruit 
of autumn often hanging into winter. Besides the common 
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