CULTIVATION OF THE MULBERRY. 31 



berry trees of Khing, produce a firm arid strong silk ; it is 

 fit to make cha and lo-cha, (kinds of thick gauze and crape.) 

 The leaves of the mulberry trees of Lou agree with the 

 worms that are large ; those of the trees of Khing with the 

 small worms. [Nong-sang-thong-khioue.] 



The work entitled Thsi-min-yao-chou, decribes the man- 

 ner of obtaining the best seed of the black mulberry trees. 



The two ends of the mulberry must be cut off with a pair 

 of scissors, and only the middle part taken. The seed of the 

 two extremities are comparatively smaller than the others, 

 and if sown they produce little mulberry trees, called khi- 

 sang, (chicken mulberry trees) and hoa-sang, (flowering 

 mulberry trees.) 



The intermedial part of the mulberry has larger and 

 harder seed. The trees that proceed from them have firmer 

 and stronger branches, and they bear thick and nourishing 

 leaves. [Nong-sang-thong-khioue.'] 



The mulberry trees called ti-sang (dwarf trees) ought to 

 be planted in a garden near a well. If grass springs up 

 around the roots of the trees, the earth must be turned 

 up with a spade. When it does not rain they must be 

 watered. When the silk worms are hatched they ought to 

 be watered three times a day ; the leaves will then grow 

 very quickly. 



Among the different kinds of mulberry trees there are 

 some that sprout out early, others late. It is from among 

 the mulberry trees which are in leaf the earliest, that those 



