[ 175 ] 44 



ago-inist the fitness ©f the tree for the food of the insects. He acknow- 

 ledges that they eat the leaves of hoth the white and red species indis- 

 criminately, when mixed, without evincing a preference for either, 

 and that when they were placed in separate parcels within half an 

 inch of each other, they never left the latter until they were all de- 

 voured. A similar remark as to their promiscuous feeding on both 

 species of leaves, had been previously and long since made in Louisi- 

 ana, by Madam Humbert,* a native of France, and was recently con- 

 firmed by Mr. Seth Millington,t of Missouri. Madam H. adds, 

 that the silk from the worms fed on the leaves of the native tree, was 

 equally good as that produced by the white species, and that both 

 <'were stronger and finer than that of France." 



From the character of the leaves and fruit of a native mulberry 

 tree growing in Washita, t there is reason to believe that it is a dif- 

 ferent species from the Morns rubra. 



The leaves received, are three-lobed, three-nerved, unequally ser- 

 rated; base subcordate entire; lobes, ovate oblong acute, or acumi- 

 nate; sinuses broad, with large interjected acute teeth. Both surfaces 

 rough. 



The leaves are larger than the red species: upper lobes more ovate, 

 with base narrowed; no pubescence beneath; lateral lobes narrower than 

 the middle. Teeth of the sinuses, sometimes entire, sometimes with 

 a few unequal teeth on the side. Upper sinuses broader than the lower. 



OF THE WHITE MULBERRY TREE. 



The white mulberry tree, Morus alba, is a native of Asia, and was 

 introduced into Italy by some of the survivers of the last crusade. 

 Olivier de Serres relates, that the French who accompanied Charles 

 the Eighth, in his invasion of Italy, in 14.94, struck with the abund- 

 ance of the trees in that country, and with the profit derived from the 

 culture of. silk, determined to introduce it into France. This was 

 done by Guy Pape, of Saint Auban, after the peace, who planted it 

 near Montelimart. In 1802, Faujas de Saint Fond saw the original 

 tree, around which Mr. Lachaux, to evince his respect for this monu- 

 ment of agriculture, and parent of all the white mulberry trees in 

 France, had built a wail. There are several species of this tree, and 

 numerous varieties, the result of cultivation, soil, climate, and the 

 play of nature. The forms of the leaves are extremely variable. 

 Mr. Audibert,§ an experienced cultivator in France, says, "that the 

 same tree will have leaves divided into several lobes, when young; 

 and, when it becomes old, they will be entire. Others have the second 

 crop of leaves differently formed from the first; some again have en- 

 tire leaves in the spring, and lubed leaves in the autumn. Hence, it 

 is extremely difficult to assign positive chai-acters to the different va- 

 rieties, particularly when they show no diversity in appearance, except 

 in the shapes of the leaves. " 



* Du PraU's Hist, of Louisiana, p. 187. 



■(• Answer to the silk circular. 



\ Tiie leaves w ere sent by Judge Biy, to the Secretary of the Treasuin\ 



§ Essai, &;c. p. 2-1. ' 



