The Glenwood post., 1919-05-10
COMMON RARBBRRY
TO R1 ARADIoATED

10 BD ARADICATED
Government pathologists Of the bu.
reau of plant industry have been in our
city to inspect all shrubbery paintings
to locate, tag, condemn and order de-
stroyed all common barberry bushes
found. These harmful shrubs have been
declared pest and as such arc now
under the ban.
The local campaign is part Of ma
and stamp out black stem rust. This
disease of wheat and other cereal grains
is spread by the barbary bush, say
these experts.
The method Of infection Of wheat
fields is very interesting as reported
by the government workers. Red rust
in the spring on grains and grasses is
spread throughout the fields by germ
spore, much as flu or other diseases are
spread. Later in the summer and in
early fall, about the time the grains
are ready for harvest, this red rust
gives place to black stem rust. The
latter is the same disease, only another
manifestation. Black rust appears as
long black spots on wheat or grain
stems. These spots, as in the red rust,
contain many germ spores.
The interesting feature of the dis
ease is that the black spores cannot
again attack wheat, but must lie over
winter in resting stage. After this
period of rest they grow and produce
new germs which can live only on the
common barberry. Upon the barberry
these disease germs produce barber,v
rust spots of reddish or yellowish
brown color. 1t is in the rust spots OF
the barberry that we find the germ
which attacks the wheat in late spring
and early summer and again causes
red rust.
Thus, the pathologists say, one can
readily trace out the life cycle of the
fungus parasite-red rust on wheat,
black rust on wheat, barberry rust on
barberry, back to red rust on wheat.
That the campaign is an effective one
is shown by the experience of Denmark
which, 16 years ago, removed its barber
ries and since that time has been free
of black stem rust
When asked if these facts were only
lately discovered, the government in
spectors stated that for over 800 years
farmers have suspected the barberry of
some relation to the plague or blight of
their grains. AS early as 1860 laws
were passed in France against this nox.
ious plant. In l772 and 1775 the col.
onies of Massachusetts, Rhode Island
and Connecticut passed Revolutionary
War measures against it. It was not
until 1865 that the scientific world o.
tablished the very peculiar and rather
remarkable relationship between this
shrub and the disease.
| The expected saving as reported by
the government workers is surprisingly
large. The losses annually amount to
over 100000 bushels of wheat in ad.
dltion to that total of other cereals, for
barley, rye and oats, as well as so va
rieties Of grains in Colorado, are at
tackled by the germs spread from the
common barberry. In 1916 was report.
ed an epidemic Of the disease on wheat
which caused loss of over 200 900, 900
bushels of this necessary grain. This
loss has been SO severe as to justify
the campaign now being waged through
out the United States for he dessruc.
tion Of this shrub.
Barberries do not grow wild Is an
interesting fact as stated by the path
ologists now conducting the campaign,
Being entirely nursery propogated we
find 95 per cent of the paintings in
cities where Identification has been
DONE This places the work largely
with city people. A very fine spirit Of
cooperation is being shown by the
townfolk who very gladly remove and
destroy their barberries in order to
save the wheat and other grain crops.
That growers of Japanese barberry
may be assured, it is stated that tho
common barberry only spreads wheat
rust. The japanese barberry, having
single spines, dagis berries, single
flowers and small smoothedged leaves.
is entirely harmless. Persons having
the common variety with its triple
spines, lunches of flowers and berries
and saw-tooth edge leaves are often ad.
vised to plant Japanese in the hole
from which common barberry has
been removed.