208 
at Hempstead in 1670,1 “The fruits natural to the Island are 
Mulberries, Posimons, Grapes, great and small. Plumbs of several 
sorts and Strawberries of such abundance, that in Spring the 
fields are died red. A footnote by Miss Flint identifies the 
mulberry as Morus rubra, a native species well developed in the 
’ 
interior, but known only from a few specimens and reaching only 
| size on Long Island. It is more than probable that these 
— 
a sma 
trees were the white mulberry, Morus alba, which was extensively 
planted in the early days for silkworm culture, some of the early 
land grants along the Atlantic coast even making obligatory the 
planting of a certain number of mulberry trees on each partition 
of land. The extent of mulberry-tree plantings may be estimated 
by the following excerpts quoted by L. H. Bailey, Evolution of 
Our Native Fruits, p. 145.“ Hf all the highways in country towns 
were ornamented with a row of mulberry trees, on each side, half 
a rod apart, each mile would contain 1380 trees, the income of 
which, after seven years, would probably pay for repairing all the 
highwavs and the expenses of the public schools, if the imhabi- 
— 
tants would restrain their cattle and sheep from going at large’ 
[Cobb, J. H. Manual of the Mulberry Tree. Boston, 1831], and 

In Spring our trees the Caterpillars reare; 
Their trees likewise these noble creatures beare. 
They a not ele on fhe Maiher 
Which in our World sole food is held to be 
For all such precious Worms of that degree: 
But Poplar, Plum, Crab, me and App e tree 
— 
Yea Cherry, and tree called Pohickery 
[Samuel Hartlib. The Reformed v irginian Silkworm. 1655.] 
Some of the early Long Island nurseries were instrumental in 
fostering a revival of mulberry-growing for the production of silk, 
during the period from 1830 to 1840, a venture based this time on 
the much-extolled Morus multicaulis, but ending in a sudden col- 
lapse of the mulberry boom and bankruptcy of a large number of 
horticultural firms and land owners. 
To return to Denton’s description of the countryside,’ ‘“ The 
greatest part of the Island is very full of timber, as oaks white 
1 Flint, le, p. 40. 
2 Fhint, Le, p. 49. 
