Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1922-06-24
AGRICULTURAL NOTES
Dig Burberry Bushes Now.
By Dan Shaffer County Agent

OIS Duf UEiiJ bhSuCS AOWs
Tie black stem rust of wheat and
other rains is on the way. Reports
from the United states Department
Of Agriculture show that the common
barberry bush is now rustings The
common barberry Berberis Vulgaris)
carries the spring stage of the black
stem rust. The rust cannot get start
ed in the spring without the aid of the
common barberry. Every common
barberTy destroyed this month means
a saving TO the farmers of many
dollars worth of grain, when harvest
time rolls around. Dig all the bar
berry bushes now. Geteyery root with
the bush and burn the whole thing
Watch the spot next year for new
shoots The barbprry is dangerous
/ " hereyer 1t is, whether it be In the
city, village or country. The rust is
spread by the wind and can be blown
for many miles. Tie rust spreads
from the barberry to grasses, then to
the grain tields-then disaster to the
farmers. Dig them now.
The Evidence Against The Burberry
Conclusive.
The guilt of the common barberry
has been established without doubt.
1t gives the rust it's start in the
spring Without he barberry rust can
not spread to the grains and grasses.
The reason for this is that there are
three stages of rust. The black spore
stage, or winter stage, of the rust
/ lives during the winter on grain stub
I bic and wild grasses. These spots con
tain millions of black spores or seeds.
These germlnate in the spring, pro-
ducing smaller seeds, which are
blown about by the wind. These
smaller spores are entirely harmless,
unless they fall on barberry leaves,
because they cannot start rust on
grass. When they fall on the barberry
they cause the spring or cluster cup
stage of the rust on the leaves of the
bushes. These cluster cups are filled
with immense numbers of spring
spores that are blown to grains or
grasses aud cause the red spore stage,
OF summer stage of the rust After a
week or ten days from he time they
fall on the grain or grass plants, the
red rust appears. The red spots on
the grain leaves are composed of en-
ormOus numbers of red spores of the
j black rust These spores are in time
blown about by the wind and infect
other grains aud grasses. In this way
new crop of red spores is produced
every week or ten days during the
/ growing season. Later in the season
the red stage is replaced by the black
or winter stage. and the rust winters
again ia this form on the stubble,
straw and grasses.
In 1920 the total loss 70 Wisconsin
farmers was ), 765 900 bushels of grain.
/ In good hard cash this means a loss
of S4,734 900, all due to somebody
negligence and carlessness Mighty
expensive shrub isn't it,
How TO Distinguish The Two
Kinds OF Burberry.
The harmful common barberry can
easily be distinguished from the harm
less Japanese barberry. The common
hovharrU ic a tolI araat opf,xy. gI,r,,b
often as much as 10 10 II feet high.
The leaves are green or purple in
color and have saw-toothed edges.
The spnes are usually ia groups of
three or more The yellow flowers
are small and seldom noticed but the
red berries which are bonn in clusters
like currants are very conspicuous,
The bark is grayish.
The harmless japanese barberry is
a beautiful, low, spreading bush us
ually on feet tall. The leaves are
small and have smooth edges The
spines usually are single, although
sometimes there are two or even three
in place. The flowers are small aud
yeilowish in color. The red berries
are borne sinely or in small clusters
of two or three like gooseberries. The
bark OF the Japanese bush is reddish
Ia color.
Destroy The Common Barberry
Now.
There are large areas in Michigan,
Wisconsin and Minnesota that have