Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-12-20
Barberries.

AhaA'h AiAiisAAAkN
No shrub of our coast region impresses
one with more decI led character of it's
own than does the barbefry. There are
two seasons of the year when it is
peculiarly attractive; when it blooms in
the early summer, and when its fruit
ripens in the late fall. OF the two the
berry is much more conspicuous than the
boom. This scarlet fruit has very near
| iy the hue, and almost the br.llianey, of
| cardinal flower. SO conspicuous food
must prove very attractive to birds, and
tins Is the reason given by modern
scientists for the fruit taking on so high
color that birds snbsisting upon 1T
might distribute The seeds widely. The
| author of delightful little book on the
"Sagaoityi and Mortality of Plants" has
some ingenious ana entertaining ideas to
offer on this point He notes that, in
connection with the color of the fruit to
attract the birds, the first leaves are de-
veloped into spines, to Keep the cattle or
other animals from browsing on the
shrub. Here Is provision for the widest
distribution of the plant and protection
in its growth. But despite all that
nature has done for the spread of the
shrub, it has secured but little territory
az yet. The writer has never met il
(aithough it may thus flourish in spotsl
growing wild on the coast of Maine or
the provinces, nor has it gone West 60
grow up with the country, except as it
mas been carried there ana nurtured as a
garden plaut. It is in this country con
fined to the coast unless II should De
found Indigenous upon the mountains.
1t is not easy to trace the origin and
history of such shrub as the hgrberry,
which has never been under cultivation,
and whose products have never been
articles of merchandise. From it's occur
renee here 1t seems likely to have been
brought from Englend by the carly set
tiers. 1t was Just such plant as they
were likely 10 bring, for its frait and its
associations. 1t was connected with rur-
al life, aad has secured place in the
literature of the time. Mention of 1t is
frequentsin the poets. Haywood intro
duces it into a play, written about the
time this province was settled. Ore OF
the characters Ia The Fair Maid of the
West says to the King of I'ez, "And for
the country's sake, which is called Bar
barry, will love I'll BARRIERS and barber
TICS buO DCtbtIs ~ pS dNubQ nCfN
that the plant is most frequently spoken
OF ia connection with Devonshire. This
indicates that its territory is restricted in
that country, as well rs in this, soa
furthermore that the shrub was intro
duced into old England as into the new.
As said before, the history of such g
plant is not easy to tCaoe, but IFS habits
and manners argue au early hone in the
mountains. 1t is no matter of surprise,
therefore, to learn that the author of
"Phe Roof OF the World" found this
shrub growing vigorously in Thibet, at a
great elevation. So too, the authorizes of
the "Indsp Alps" says none of the
otaeT moEutains exhibit the faintest
trace of vegetation, except that OF the
lesfess barberry, which grows in bushes
about foot and hail. t;om.the ground"
This, believe, was made at an elevation
of 14,00e feet. The bashes are spoken of
as being covered with the rhine of frost.
Seoh hardihood is evidence of their be-
ing native TO those mountains. If this
conjecture be correct, it is more likely
the plant owes its distribution &c man
than to birds. There are grounds for
believing the fruit TO have been fsVorite
With prehistoric man. SO long course
of independent living as this suppositiou
plies will account for the sturdy per
sistence with which the shrub sticks to
our rocky hillsides. Il scorns the bland
ishments OF garden life.
It has been suggested that the bar
berry may have been introduced here for
the yellow coloring extract obtainable
from it's root. In connection with this
point 9th ers say that the plant is favor
tie with the Chinese and japanese as
furnishing most valuable walking sticks.
These are priced for taeir yellow handles
carved from the root OF the shrub. If
there is any foundation for this report,
il takes us far ahead historically. Yellow
was sacred color With those eastern
people, and il connects this preference
for barberry canes with the worship of
the cum. But leaving the twilight fisids
of con lecture for the actual history of the
barberry it may be new fact to the
reader, and may pay him in part for
reading go far, to lea'n that on the 2lst
of December (Forefather'= Day. 1854,
the general court of this province passed
an act ito prevent damage to English
grain arising from bsrbe:ry bushes"
PIC pEApG IN TPANGyJyANTA