19th Vhalar, 719
Tei'serin settled into her seat, and quickly got her journal out so she could take notes. The teacher arrived as she was getting ready for class, and took attendance. Then she addressed her students.
"We're going to be discussing barberries totrial. The herb is a tall shrub that has thorny, grey branches. It has bright yellow flowers that bloom in late Ashan. During mid to late Vhalar, the branches will sag with red berries. In the wild, Barberry shrubs are most often found in sandy soil along the coast lines and swamp land areas. But you can also grow them in a garden. Barberry plants like full sun or partial shade and are very adaptable to a wide range of soil types as long as it drains well. If you are growing them in a garden, it is best to start them in pots then transplant them into the garden once they outgrow the pots. This should be done just after flowering or in late Zi'da. They like temperate climates, and will not do well in tropical areas where there is a lot of humidity."
Tei'serin took notes as quickly as she could. One of the women who was sitting next to her was drawing a picture of the barberry plant based off of the way their teacher described it. Tei'serin wished that she could draw as well as the other woman could, but she quickly dismissed the thought in favor of paying attention to the lecture.
"Barberries are edible, and they can be used in a wide variety of ways. They have a tart, slightly sweet flavor. Barberries can be eaten raw, or used to make jams, jellies, wine, and sauces. They can also be added to salads, or used in rice dishes to provide both color and flavor. They can also be juiced or used to make tea. When using them in cooking, they are usually used when fresh, but the dried berries can be used to make tea. When making jams, jellies and sauces, the best berries to use are the fat ripe ones. But the smaller undeveloped ones are best for salads and rice dishes because they can be used whole instead of having to take the seeds out of them."
The teacher paused to ask if anyone had any questions. No one did, so she went on with the lecture.
"The roots, bark and berries can all be used in making herbal remedies. It is also important to know that this herb has two kinds of bark that are used; the root bark and the tree bark. The root bark should be harvested in Ashan or Vhalar, and the tree bark should be harvested in Vhalar and early Zi'da when the sap is moving. The berries can be harvested at any time. The root bark is collected by carefully shaving it off of the roots. And the tree bark can be harvested by peeling it off of the branches. But it is vital to peel only one side of the tree or branch. Doing this allows the tree to heal and continue to grow. Never peel a ring of bark off of a tree or bush as this will kill it. Once harvested, the bark can be dried by spreading it out in trays and leaving them out in the sun. The berries can be picked individually to decrease the risk of getting stung by the thorns, or by grasping a branch loaded with fruit near the bottom and pulling up toward the tip removing the berries along the way. Since the thorns point forward, you can remove the berries without getting pricked if you are careful."
Tei'serin raised her hand.
"Yes, Tei'serin?" the teacher asked after a few trills.
"Would wearing gloves help to reduce the risk of getting stung by thorns while picking barberries?"
"Unfortunately, no. Using gloves while picking barberries is too awkward. You can reduce the risk of getting stung by thorns by being careful, but there is no way to ensure that you won't get stung at all."
Tei'serin jotted down the answer to her question in her notes while the teacher move on.
"This herb can be used both internally and externally. Barberries can be used to treat digestive problems such as heartburn, stomach cramps, and constipation. They can also increase blood circulation and appetite, and boost a person's ability to fight off illness. The roots, bark, and root bark can be used to reduce fevers, and purify the blood. The root bark can also be used to treat
diarrhea, indigestion, hemorrhoids, gout, jaundice, joint pain, arthritis, and both mid and low back pain. When used externally, this herb can be used to treat sores, burns, ulcers, acne, itches, ringworm, cuts, acne, canker sores, and bruises. It can be used as a compress for inflammatory eye conditions. Finally, when made into a bitter tonic barberry has mild laxative effects. Because of this, barberry has been used by weak or debilitated people to strengthen and cleanse the system."
Tei'serin finished with her notes just as the teacher dismissed the class. Some of the other students left quickly, but Tei'serin lingered for a while so she could organize her notes.
Tei'serin settled into her seat, and quickly got her journal out so she could take notes. The teacher arrived as she was getting ready for class, and took attendance. Then she addressed her students.
"We're going to be discussing barberries totrial. The herb is a tall shrub that has thorny, grey branches. It has bright yellow flowers that bloom in late Ashan. During mid to late Vhalar, the branches will sag with red berries. In the wild, Barberry shrubs are most often found in sandy soil along the coast lines and swamp land areas. But you can also grow them in a garden. Barberry plants like full sun or partial shade and are very adaptable to a wide range of soil types as long as it drains well. If you are growing them in a garden, it is best to start them in pots then transplant them into the garden once they outgrow the pots. This should be done just after flowering or in late Zi'da. They like temperate climates, and will not do well in tropical areas where there is a lot of humidity."
Tei'serin took notes as quickly as she could. One of the women who was sitting next to her was drawing a picture of the barberry plant based off of the way their teacher described it. Tei'serin wished that she could draw as well as the other woman could, but she quickly dismissed the thought in favor of paying attention to the lecture.
"Barberries are edible, and they can be used in a wide variety of ways. They have a tart, slightly sweet flavor. Barberries can be eaten raw, or used to make jams, jellies, wine, and sauces. They can also be added to salads, or used in rice dishes to provide both color and flavor. They can also be juiced or used to make tea. When using them in cooking, they are usually used when fresh, but the dried berries can be used to make tea. When making jams, jellies and sauces, the best berries to use are the fat ripe ones. But the smaller undeveloped ones are best for salads and rice dishes because they can be used whole instead of having to take the seeds out of them."
The teacher paused to ask if anyone had any questions. No one did, so she went on with the lecture.
"The roots, bark and berries can all be used in making herbal remedies. It is also important to know that this herb has two kinds of bark that are used; the root bark and the tree bark. The root bark should be harvested in Ashan or Vhalar, and the tree bark should be harvested in Vhalar and early Zi'da when the sap is moving. The berries can be harvested at any time. The root bark is collected by carefully shaving it off of the roots. And the tree bark can be harvested by peeling it off of the branches. But it is vital to peel only one side of the tree or branch. Doing this allows the tree to heal and continue to grow. Never peel a ring of bark off of a tree or bush as this will kill it. Once harvested, the bark can be dried by spreading it out in trays and leaving them out in the sun. The berries can be picked individually to decrease the risk of getting stung by the thorns, or by grasping a branch loaded with fruit near the bottom and pulling up toward the tip removing the berries along the way. Since the thorns point forward, you can remove the berries without getting pricked if you are careful."
Tei'serin raised her hand.
"Yes, Tei'serin?" the teacher asked after a few trills.
"Would wearing gloves help to reduce the risk of getting stung by thorns while picking barberries?"
"Unfortunately, no. Using gloves while picking barberries is too awkward. You can reduce the risk of getting stung by thorns by being careful, but there is no way to ensure that you won't get stung at all."
Tei'serin jotted down the answer to her question in her notes while the teacher move on.
"This herb can be used both internally and externally. Barberries can be used to treat digestive problems such as heartburn, stomach cramps, and constipation. They can also increase blood circulation and appetite, and boost a person's ability to fight off illness. The roots, bark, and root bark can be used to reduce fevers, and purify the blood. The root bark can also be used to treat
diarrhea, indigestion, hemorrhoids, gout, jaundice, joint pain, arthritis, and both mid and low back pain. When used externally, this herb can be used to treat sores, burns, ulcers, acne, itches, ringworm, cuts, acne, canker sores, and bruises. It can be used as a compress for inflammatory eye conditions. Finally, when made into a bitter tonic barberry has mild laxative effects. Because of this, barberry has been used by weak or debilitated people to strengthen and cleanse the system."
Tei'serin finished with her notes just as the teacher dismissed the class. Some of the other students left quickly, but Tei'serin lingered for a while so she could organize her notes.
