The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-07
BARBERRY AND WHEAT RUST.

In the production OF oats, rye and bar
ley. Wheat rust reduces the yield OF
wheat millions of bushels annually.
ptsregarding the necessities of war.
anything of a simple nature that may
be done to save such an important and
valuable food, thus increasing the an
nual production Of wealth, must be
complied with cheerfully without re-
gard to the slight Inconvenience or
loss a.few may be obliged to suffer.
Plant pathologtsts who have devoted
years to the study Of this disease say
they have demonstrated that wheat
rust winters over on the barberry, and
the following season spreads from the
barberry plants to the fifty or more
wild and cultivated grasses which 1t
attacks and finally is spread by the
winds to the grain fields, where the
damage Is done.
The Japanese barberry, Barbcris
thunbergi. is safe. as the wheat rust
does not attack that variety. making
host plant of it.
Barberis vulgaris. which is found
wild in thickets along the roadsides, is
the greatest offender. 1t is a beautiful
plant with oblong red. sour berries A
purple leaved variety has been Sc
lected and propagated by nurserymen
Barberis vulgaris is the native Euro
pean variety first imported many
years ago and has strayed from cult
waited gardens pretty generally over
the United States.
Barberis canadensis is our native
wild barberry found along both slopes
'of the Alleghanies. 1t is a low bush,
with oval red berries. and the leaves
less bristly than B. vulsaris.
The mahonias. OF the same family.
or some Of them at least. also act as
host plants for wheat rust Thiss d.
vision includes Barberis aquifolium;
B. repens and B. nervosa- These are
natives Of the Rocky Mountain
regions.
Other members Of the family such
as nandina, epimedium and caulophyl-
lum may also prove offenders.
DR.. f. c. Stakman has devoted ten
years to the study Of the wheat rust
for the United States Department Of
Agriculture. and THE SUN has asked
him to give a list Of all the plants he
has found to which wheat rust can be
transferred. and the list will be pub
ltshed soon
Another question has arisen and
that is to- what extent the offending
barberries are to be removed
For illustration, in the city OF
Springfield, Ohio, barberry vulgaris is
used generally to cover the founda-
tons OF houses. a large percentage Of
the homes having this plant across
the front Of the house. others nave
used It. for hedges Some say they
spray the plants frequently with Bor-
deaux mixture and they are free from
disease. Will spraying with Bordeaux
prevent the wheat rust on barberry
and should the barberry plants in the
cities be destroyed. OF are they far
enough away from wheat fields to
make it safe to permit them to re-
main? THE SUN will endeavor to OBJ
tain this information and publish it
at an early date.
Admitting the beauty and utility of
barberry vulgaris. II 1t IL causing loss
or trouble to neighbors the American
Gated from lawns ana gardens ana
o'ner quite as interesting SUBJECTS
substituted.
In 'he 1901 anu mouth oisease oi
ca'tie 'ne authorities s'eppeo III anu
.erds OF cattle. Inc owner was re-
impurscd by the state
Nurserymen having a large stock
OF barberry on hand on which much