8 MULBERRY DISEASE. 
unpruned trees a number of the branches (of which some are 
visible on the extreme left) have been killed by Corynewm Mori ; 
the remainder are scantily furnished with small, ill-nourished 
leaves. Though the branch system is larger, the total leaf is much 
less. It is well known that the quality of the leaf has a marked 
effect on the health of the worms and on the amount and quality 
of the silk produced. There can be no doubt from a comparison 
of the photographs that the pruned tree is superior in quality of 
leaf as in every other respect to the unpruned. 
In Europe it is usual to gather the leaves only, whereas in 
Kashmir branches are taken ; it is apparently contended by some 
that this, in large trees, serves the purpose of pruning. ‘This 
would probably be the case to a certain extent if the branches were 
cut with any system and if the cutting were done with reasonable 
care. As it is, the trees are being directly injured instead of 
improved in power of leaf-production and in quality of leaf, by the 
hacking to which they are subjected. Branches thicker than a 
man’s finger are not supposed to be taken, but little attention is 
paid to this regulation, and it is probably not a useful one if 
applied indiscriminately. On young trees it does not. prevent 
over-plucking ; on old, it leaves much of the useless wood behind. 
Trees can be seen in most villages in which so much youne wood 
has been removed that the leaf-bearing twigs of the current year’s 
growth spring largely from the trunk or main branches. Such 
shoots are usually of short growth, bear often small leaves, and 
never form the basis for a new system of Jeaf-bearing shoots in the 
following year. In many comparatively young trees seen, the leaf- 
bearing shoots were for the most part dead at the tips and fora 
variable distance back from the tips. This condition, which is 
known as “dying back,” is a common result of defoliation of 
plants from any cause, such as the attacks of insects or fungi or 
from frost. Excessive plucking of leaves in tea and mulberry is 
known to lead to dying back, and an examination of the trees left 
no doubt that this was the cause here. The very rapid growth 
of the industry in the last few years is responsible for this 
state of affairs. The smaller trees, being easily reached, are 
