WIl TC-I-UL'ITED MULBEnRY-TREt. .loa 



berry is not subject to any disease. lu pruning, cutting in, or beading down, 

 the trees, the great object is to preserve the eciuilibrinm of tbe heads, so tbat tbe 

 sap may be equally distributed through the brandies on every side. On tins 

 depends the production of tbe crop of leaves of equal quality on every part of tbe 

 tree, which is alike important both for the first crop, given to the worms, and for 

 the second crop, which is required for tiie nonrisinnent of the tree itself. l)u 

 Halde, in his " History of China," relates that the Chinese are so particular in 

 pruning their mulberries, that the leaves may be gatbered in tbe easiest manner, 

 and without risk or damage to the trees. This is accomplished by cutting tiie 

 head of the tree in a hollow form, without any intersecting branches in tbe mid- 

 dle ; so that a person going round the tree, may gather all the outside leaves, and 

 afterwards, by standing within tbe summit, and merely turnmg round to the 

 different parts, may pluck the leaves growing in the interior. The trees are not 

 allowed to grow to any great height, each forming a sort of dwarf, or round 

 hedge, that may be reached in every part without climbing on its branches. In 

 China, and also in India, the mulberry plantations are made much in tbe manner 

 as those of the sugar-cane, and other agricultural plants. A field is laid out into 

 squares of five or six feet on a side, and in the centre of each square a hollow is 

 formed, into which are planted in a group, five or six mulberry cuttings, after 

 the soil has been stirred and manured. These plants are never allowed to grow 

 higher than three or four feet; being cut down to the ground every year, in the 

 same maimer as a raspberry plantation. Mulberry-trees, when planted out, 

 should be kept clear of grass and herbage, and the ground loosened about their 

 roots. They should never be touched with fresh barn-yard manure, as it will do 

 them no immediate benefit, but often will prove fatal to them. The only manure 

 that can be applied to advantage, is well-rotted vegetable mould, containing a 

 due proportion of lime, potash, and ammonical salts, and the leaves and branches 

 of the tree itself, or the excrement and litter of the silkworms, which should 

 always be preserved, as far as convenient, for this purpose. 



Lisects and Diseases. The leaves of the Morns alba are believed to be eaten 

 by no other insect but the silkworm (liombyx mori.) M. PuUein, however, made 

 experiments with various kinds of insects, but they all rejected the mulberry leaf 

 for food, except "a green worm, about an inch long, and as thick as an oat 

 straw." Although he found it upon a mulberry, it was his belief that it was not 

 peculiar to that tree alone, but found its way there by accident. The white 

 mulberry, however, is attacked by numerous diseases, occasioned partly, no 

 doubt, by the unnatural manner in which it is treated, by being stripped of its 

 foliage. One of these diseases is brought on by any sudden check given to the 

 transpiration of the leaves, which turn yellow, and fall olf, shortly after causing the 

 tree to die. Another is the death of the roots, which is accompanied by the for- 

 mation on them of parasitic fungi. The leaves are also apt to be attacked with 

 honey-dew, mildew, rust, and other diseases, which render them unfit for the 

 food of the silkworm. Those leaves covered with honey-dew may be washed, 

 and. when thoroughly dry, may be given to the insects without injury; but the 

 other diseased leaves should be thrown away. If leaves covered with honey- 

 dew are employed without washing, they cause dysentery and death to the 

 worms. As it is not our intention to treat of the whole art of the rearing and 

 management of the silkworm, we are compelled to refer the reader to a "Trea- 

 tise on the Origin and Progressive Improvement of tbe Silk .Manufacture," being 

 the twenty-second volume of tbe Ijondon CabinetCyclop;udia ; also to the work 

 of Count Dandolo, entitled " Dell' Arte di governare i Hacchi da Seta;" Kenrick's 

 "American Silk-Grower's Guide;" and to most of the agricultural journals of 

 the day. 



Properties and Uses. The wood of the Morns alba, when dry, weighs forty- 



