THE WITCH HAZEL, SORREL TREE, ETC. 79 



mulberry tree in early summer ; they are usually of 

 a soft, warm, yellow -green hue, in agreeable con- 

 trast with the surrounding darker-leaved trees, and 

 they seem to hold the afterglow in some mysteri- 

 ous manner peculiar to themselves. This 

 rare and glowing yellow-green color is 

 identical with that which we have ad- 

 mired perhaps in the garments of the 

 Madonna in a picture called 

 The Virgin Enthroned, by 

 the American artist, Abbott 

 H. Thayer. The red mul- 

 berry is common east of 

 the Mississippi River, and 

 in that locality reaches a 

 height of 70 feet or more. It 

 extends throughout the country. 



There is also a white mulberry (Morns alba) with 

 leaves similar to those of the red mulberry, except that 

 they are smooth and shiny. This tree was intro- 

 duced from China about 1830, and cultivated for the 

 sake of its leaves, upon which silkworms delight to 

 feed. The oval fruit is whitish, and at times pur- 

 plish ; it is edible, but has a rather sickening sweet 

 taste. The tree is common throughout the North ; 

 southward it extends to Florida and Texas. I recol- 

 lect a tall and handsome specimen at Palenville, K". Y., 



Cut-leaf of Red Mulberry. 



