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and to be found in most fruit gardens. This species, knoi 

 nigruj is supposed to have originated in some part of Central Asia, 

 :ind to have been taken to Greece and Home at an early period, and 

 in both countries it appears to have quickly become a popular fruit. 

 The fruit was supposed to have medicinal virtues by the Romans, 

 who used it as a remedy for diseases of the mouth, windpipe, and 

 stomach. They also used the leaves and roots as remedies for the 

 same complaints. The Black Mulberry is supposed to have been 

 introduced to England at the time of the Roman conquest, but there 

 are no records of its cultivation in that couistry previous to the 

 sixteenth century. With the exception of Morui* rnbra (Red 

 Mnll>erry) the Black Mulberry is the hardiest, strongest, and largest 

 species, and its fruit is superior to that of any other kind both in 

 si/e and flavour. Though the trees are slower in growth than the 

 other species, they possess more vitality and are longer lived. There 

 are now trees in existence in England which are known to be over 

 three hundred years old. The Black Mulberry is a wholesome and 

 refreshing dessert fruit, and is excellent for tarts and puddings. It 

 makes an excellent jam or jelly, and a palatable wine can be made 

 from the fermented juice. The fruit, when not too ripe, makes a 

 very tasty pickle with salt and vinegar. Mulberry juice also makes 

 u first-class vinegar. The wood is tough and durable, and in Europe 

 is turned to good account for various purposes. The bark is tough 

 and fibrous, and is often used for making mats and baskets. For 

 feeding silk-worms the leaves may be utilized, but they are not nearly 

 so valuable for this purpose as the different varieties of Morus alba 

 (White Mulberry). 



Morns alba (White Mulberry). This specie's is indigenous to some 

 parts of India and China, and is largely used for feeding silk-worms. 

 The species embraces a number of varieties, which differ more or 

 less, but all possess the same essential properties. These are known 

 as rosea (rose-coloured), multicaulis (many -stemmed), Indica (Indian), 

 Jponic (Japanese), Morettiana (Morett's). l<itifoli (broad-leaved), 

 Sinensis (Chinese), pumiliu s (dwarf), Italica (Italian), tortuosa (bend- 

 ing irregularly). All these are simply varieties of Morns alba. 

 According to records that have been handed down, the silk-worm 

 wjis introduced from China to Greece by two Persian missionary 

 monks about the year 550. But we have no account of the intro- 

 duction to Europe of the White Mulberry, which is the best for 

 feeding silk-worms, till the latter part of the sixteenth century. 

 Probably the Chinese have always used this kind, as, according to 

 their historical records, that nation has practised sericulture for four 

 thousand five hundred years. China, Japan, and Italy are now the 

 principal sericultural countries, and the industry employs a great 

 many people. Jforus alba rosea is the favourite variety with many 

 Italian and French growers, who consider it to be superior to all 

 others from the thickness of the leaves and the amount of nourish- 

 ment they afford to the silk-worms. J/orws alba multicaulis produces 

 a large bulk of leaves, but French sericulturists consider them to be 

 too watery and to have a tendency to provoke disease among' the 



