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THE SHRUB BARBERRY. 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
Article VI.—THE MALIGN INFLUENCE OF THE SHRUB BARBERRY, 
BERBERIS VULGARIS, ON WHEAT. 
BY C.ECILIUS. 
Permit me to advance a remark, founded on the observation ol 
several persons of extensive agricultural information, respecting the 
malign influence of the Shrub Barberry, (Berberis vulgaris,) on 
wheat, and although it is not in accordance with the opinion ot a 
distinguished correspondent of the Horticultural Register on the 
subject, I will nevertheless venture to prove satisfactorily, the truth 
of the assertion, from the following fact. A farmer of considerable 
landed property, who had repeatedly suffered from what is generally 
denominated blight in wheat, in two particular and adjoining fields, 
was desirous of ascertaining the cause, if possible, and for this pur¬ 
pose examined the hedge which intersceted these fields, from whence 
the mischief appeared to proceed; where he found a Barberry bush 
in great luxuriance, and having previously understood its bad effects 
as a neighbour on corn, was disposed to consider it was occasioned 
by the presence of this particular shrub, but least he should be mis¬ 
taken, and that the evil emanated from some other source, deter¬ 
mined that before the sowing of another crop of corn, to have the 
entire hedge cleared away, which was accordingly accomplished, and 
by the change, the two fields consequently became one, but the la¬ 
bourers employed in executing the work, when they came to the Bar¬ 
berry, finding it very ornamental, and having received no directions 
respecting its fate, in particular, left it undisturbed, which circumstance 
from some inexplicable or unaccountable cause, was not noticed by 
the owner, until the ground was in course of time, again covered 
with wheat, and blight had appeared amongst the crop, progressively 
extending its course, from his former acquaintance the Barberry, like 
the diverging concentric circles, produced from a stone thrown into 
a pond. The source or origin of the evil could then no longer be 
doubted, and the shrub was immediately rooted up and destroyed. 
Since that period several crops of wheat have been produced on the 
same spot, without exhibiting the least appearance of blight. 
I should therefore recommend every farmer, to be on his guard 
against this pernicious plant, which frequently grows spontaneously 
in the hedges, in many parts of the countrv. 
CiECILlUS. 
Nov. 16, 1832. 
