12 SILKWORM FOOD PLANTS. 



one year: but during dry seasons thej will onh' grow from 6 to 12 

 inches. Seedlings from se^ds sown immediatel}' after the fruit ripens 

 are alwa\^s small at the end of the season, but they produce strong 

 plants the season following. 



Seed is usually produced in great abundance b}' nearly all of the 

 species and their varieties. The mulberry, like the strawberry, black- 

 berry, and raspberr}', does not ripen all of its fruit at one time; con- 

 sequently several gatherings are necessary before a crop is harvested 

 from any one tree. The earliest fruits can be gathered immediate!}' 

 after they are ripe and the seed sown if desired. It should be remem- 

 bered that seedlings thus raised have comparatively little time to make 

 their growth; therefore, ever}' day counts. 



In gathering the fruit, it will be found easiest to shake the tree and 

 pick the fruits from the ground. To remove the seeds from the sur- 

 rounding pulp, put the fruit into a large bucket or tub and squeeze 

 with the hands until it becomes a jelly-like mass. Add water and stir 

 well until the contents are thinned sufficientl} to allow the seeds to 

 sink to the bottom. The remaining material can be poured off. The 

 seeds should be exposed to the air until dry. If it is desired to sprout 

 them the same summer, they should be sown in beds in the open, the 

 soil of which should previously be well worked by deep plowing and 

 gone over several times with a harrow and a roller. -When the soil is 

 sufficiently pulverized the ground should l)e marked off' into beds 5 

 feet wide and of any convenient length , leaving a space of 2 feet 

 between the beds. To prevent washing of the soil and also to mini- 

 mize the evil effects of drying winds, drive some stout stakes into the 

 ground along the sides and ends of the beds, and to these nail eight or 

 twelve-inch boards. The surface of the bed should be leveled and all 

 stones and roots of plants removed with a hand rake. 



Sow the seeds broadcast, taking care not to sow them too thick, as 

 there is a danger of the seedlings crowding each other. Crowding 

 produces weak plants, because even the best soil is capable of sup- 

 porting only a certain number of plants to the square foot. Press 

 the seeds into the soil with the back part of a spade and cover lightly 

 with soil screened through a quarter-inch sieve. 



In order to have the best results, the seed beds should not be exposed 

 to the sun until a considerable time has elapsed after germination. 

 This condition may be arranged as follows: Procure some pieces of 2 

 by 3-inch scantling; place two of the pieces parallel to each other 5i 

 feet apart. Nail laths from one to the other, using the 2-inch surface 

 in which to drive the nails. Leave 1-inch spaces between the laths. 

 The slats are put lengthwise over the beds, and can be used with or 

 without the side boards. Over the slats spread archangel mats, or can- 

 vas, until germination takes place; these coverings should be fre- 

 quently dampened. After the seedlings show above the ground, the 



