490 EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



abatement of the profits, added to the difficulties of managing 

 such a temperature, and the risks to the lives and health of the 

 worms. It is important to make every effort to keep down the 

 expenses of the culture. 



The mulberry may be considered as tbe only proper food of 

 the silk-worm. Various substitutes have been proposed by the 

 Chinese and others, but wholly without success. The worms 

 may be induced to eat, and may be kept alive upon other sub 

 stances, but they will make no silk. The Chinese have moist 

 ened the leaves, and sprinkled them with powdered rice, chicory, 

 and peas, and with the powder of the dried mulberry leaves, so 

 that the worms, in getting at the leaves, were compelled to eat 

 of the powder, but it has been without advantage. 



The mulberry is not a tree of difficult cultivation ; but, like 

 most other things, it makes a full compensation for particular 

 care and attention. It will grow upon a poor, but it will flourish 

 only on a good soil, inclined to sand, and not humid or heavy. 

 It is advised to train these trees with an open head, that the 

 foliage may be accessible to light and air, and not to feed from 

 them until they are full three years old. The leaves must not 

 be taken from them more than once in a year, and it is desirable 

 to forward the first defoliation, so that the second growth of 

 leaves may become quite matured. Mulberry-trees are set out 

 as ornamental trees by the sides of roads, and in the neighbor 

 hood of houses ; or, where the business is pursued on an exten 

 sive scale, they are planted in rows at a few yards distance, as 

 is customary with our apple orchards. In many parts of Italy, 

 in Lombardy and Tuscany, the vines are trained to hang in 

 graceful festoons from one tree to another; and when the rich 

 clusters of grapes are seen among the green foliage, it would be 

 difficult to find any thing of the kind more beautiful. An hec 

 tare of arable or meadow land, in France, may be valued at 2000 

 to 5000 francs, or say, 400 to 1000 dollars ; an hectare of mul 

 berry-trees in the same locality Avould, in such case, be valued at 

 5000 to 12,000 francs, or from 1000 to 2400 dollars. It is cal 

 culated that an hectare (about two and a half acres) of mulberry- 

 trees, in full bearing, will produce sufficient foliage to supply the 

 wants of the worms produced by ten ounces of eggs. This 

 would give a product of about 22,000 pounds of leaves. 



The mulberry may be propagated by sowing the seed, by 



