MULBERRY TREE. 255 



esteemed for its dark juicy fruit. Evelyn says, the fruit 

 of this tree, with the juice of cider-apples, makes an 

 excellent and agreeable beverage. Old trees not only 

 bear more fruit than young ones, but it is larger and 

 l>etter flavoured. 



This tree is a native of Persia, whence it was brought 

 to the south of Europe, and has been cultivated in every 

 part of our continent, where the climate is not too severe. 

 It will not live in the open air, in the northern parts of 

 Sweden; and in some parts of Germany, it is trained 

 against walls as we train peaches and other tender fruits. 

 This species was brought to England in the same year as 

 the White Mulberry. 



Mrs. Holderness speaks of this tree as growing to a 

 larger sue in the Crimea than it is known to attain in any 

 other country; and as being remarkable there for its 

 luxuriance, and the perfection of its fruit*. 



The Red Mulberry of Virginia, Morus Rubra, is of 

 quicker growth in this country than the two former, but 

 is described by Martyn as not so easily propagated. 

 Parkinson, in 1629, says it grows quickly to a great size ; 

 that the fruit is longer and redder than the common 

 Mulberry, and of a very pleasant taste. 



The Tartarian Mulberry, M&rus Tatarica, is a shrub 

 of which the trunk is seldom so large as the human arm : 

 the fruit is small and insipid ; it is, nevertheless, eaten 

 fresh, in a conserve, or dried ; and in Russia, a wine and 

 a spirit are made from it. 



All these species are used in feeding silk-worms, for 

 which purpose nothing appears yet to have been dis- 



* Mrs. Holderness's Manners and Customs of the Grim-Tartars. 



