Mtjlbereies. 323 



A large specimen stands in the grounds of the Department of 

 Agriculture at Washington. I do not know the history of the 

 Nervosa mulberry, nor is it important for our present purpose. 

 Delile describes it in a French periodical so long ago as 1826. 



2. ThelMulticaulis Group. — Morus latifolia, Poiret. (M. multi- 

 caulis of Perrottet. M. alba var. muUicaulis of Loudon.) 



A strong growing small tree or giant »hrub, with dull, roughish 

 and very large long-pointed leaves which are seldom or never 

 prominently lobed, and which are often convex above, bearing 

 black sweet fruit. I have already given a sketch of Morus multi- 

 caulis in America. Its most prominent offspring is the 



Downing (Downing's Everbearing). — This originated at New- 

 burgh, on the Hudson, from seeds sown about 1846. It was 

 noticed by the late C. M. Hovey, in his Magazine of Horticulture, 

 in March, 1858, as "a new seedling raised by C. Downing, of 

 Newburgh, N. Y., from the Morus multicaulis." The Downing 

 often looks very different from the old multicaulis, and I some- 

 times doubt if its history is correct; but there is probably no 

 doubt as to its origin. For many years the Downing was the 

 leading fruit-bearing mulberry, but it proved to be short-lived and 

 was often injured by the winters in the northern States; and even 

 as far south as Texas it fi-equently suffers from the cold. In 

 Florida it is said to be still popular. The Downing now sold by 

 most nurserymen is the New American, as I have already said. 

 Only the older nurseries still grow the true Downing, so far as I 

 have observed in the eastern States. Most planters and perhaps 

 some nurserymen are not aware of this substitution. Some nur- 

 serymen habitually substitute the New American for the Down- 

 ing, using the latter name, saying that they are disseminating a 

 better variety. It is true that the New American is the better of 

 the two, at least for the north, but it is unfortunate that this sub- 

 stitution should have occurred. INIany nurserjnnen suppose that 

 the two varieties are the same, but they not only differ in hardi- 

 ness but also in foliage and fruit. The accompanying outline shows 

 some of the difference in foliage. The top leaf is the New American 

 and the under one Downing. The Downing leaf is much the larger 



