MUELLERA 



568 



MURALTIA 



MUE'LLERA. (Commemorative of the Danish 

 botanist, O. F. Mueller. Nat. ord. Leguminosae.) 



Evergreen stove shrub. Cuttings of half-ripe wood in 

 sand and placed in a close case with bottom-heat. Loam, 

 peat, and sand. 



M. monilifo'rmis ( necklace- f ormed) . 6. Yellow. Nicar- 

 agua. 1792- 



MULBERRY. Mo'rus. 



MULBERRY (M. ni'gra) CULTURE. Propagation : by 

 Cuttings. In former days this operation was much 

 circumscribed, being limited to the cuttings of the young 

 shoots, as in currants. Truncheons of considerable size 

 may, and, indeed, ought to be used. These strike with 

 facility by ordinary means, especially in the deciduous 

 state, and put in the soil in the autumn, leaving only a 

 bud or two exposed. 



If Truncheons of some size are used, let them be taken 

 from the tree in the beginning of February ; and being 

 inserted a foot deep, in a situation where neither direct 

 sunshine nor wind can freely penetrate, envelop their 

 stems above the ground-level with moss, all but the upper 

 pair of buds, in order to prevent evaporation. 



By Layers. The shoots of the previous year arc 

 generally selected for this purpose, and may be either 

 slit or ringed, although they will root without. This 

 being performed in November, or in February, the young 

 plants will be ready to be removed from the parent 

 plant in twelve months, when they may be placed in 

 the nursery for two years, by which time they will be 

 fit for their permanent situations, care being taken to 

 train them to stems, as ordinary standard fruit- 

 trees. 



By Grafting. Ordinary grafting, as in the apple, is 

 not a very safe mode ; but inarching, or grafting by 

 approach, is quite eligible. This is performed exactly 

 as in other trees, and will produce strong plants in a 

 short time. 



By Seeds. This practice is seldom resorted to, but 

 may prove interesting to some. The seed being washed 

 from the pulp as soon as ripe, and dried, may be pre- 

 served through the winter in dry sand, and sown in 

 the succeeding February. A slight bottom-heat will 

 facilitate the progress of the seedlings ; but they may 

 be safely reared without, by affording a regular but not 

 excessive supply of moisture, with a partial deprivation 

 of light for awhile. They will need the ordinary routine 

 of transplanting, &c., afterwards. 



Culture during the Growing Period. In the standard 

 state little or nothing can be done ; but those trained 

 on walls or fences must have some assistance. It must 

 be kept in view, that the mulberry produces fruit both 

 on short-jointed young wood and on spurs, and that 

 fruit must not be looked for from luxuriant shoots. The 

 summer's dressing must consist in thinning-out and 

 stopping the grosser shoots in crowded situations, ob- 

 serving a regularity in their distances for the admission 

 of sunlight. We would advise much stopping in pre- 

 ference to much disbudding, as such parts may form a 

 nucleus for future spurs ; and if they turn out barren 

 it will be easy to remove them totally in the succeeding 

 year. The mulberry, when trained, will extend a great 

 way ; and regular training, as the shoots extend, must 

 be practised. 



Culture during the Rest Period. Some pruning is occa- 

 sionally of benefit, even to standard trees, but it can be 

 merely thinning out cross-shoots on those parts of the 

 tree which are too crowded. The shady side of the tree, 

 too, may be kept thinner than the sunny side ; and watery 

 spray springing from the branches in the interior may be 

 removed. Those trained must have superfluous shoots 

 and barren snags or spurs removed ; but no shortening 

 back is necessary. 



Soil. Any ordinary garden or field-soil will do for 

 them, if not too clayey ; for they rather prefer an upland 

 or mellow soil, which should be of a generous character, 

 but not enriched with manures until they get rather old 

 and cease producing luxuriant wood, when a rich, mellow 

 compost, as top-dressing occasionally, will much benefit 

 them. 



Forcing. The mulberry bears forcing excellently, and 

 will ripen its fruit early in June. It will bear a very 

 high temperature. It may also be grown of a dwarf 

 size in pots, and be thus forced. 



MULCHING is placing mulch, or long, moist stable 

 litter, upon the surface of the soil over the roots of newly 

 planted trees and shrubs. The best mode is to form a 

 trench about six inches deep, to put in the mulch, and 

 cover it with the earth. This prevents the mulch being 

 dried or scattered by the winds, and is more neat than 

 exposing it on the surface. Mulching keeps the moisture 

 from evaporating, and prevents frost penetrating to the 

 roots, straw being one of the worst conductors of heat. 

 When rapid growth is desirable, the mulch should be 

 kept on the surface, and removed at times in bright 

 sunshine, that the soil may be heated; for, if deeply 

 mulched, the leaves may be enjoying the climate of 

 India, and the roots be nearly as cold as if in Siberia. 



MULE, or HYBRID, is a plant raised from seed gene- 

 rated by parents of distinct species, and sometimes, but 

 not always, unfertile. See HYBRIDISING. 



MULGE'DIUM. (Derivation not known. Nat. ord. 

 Composites [Compositae]. Linn. ig-Syngenesia, z-Super- 

 flua. Now referred to Lactuca.) 



Hardy herbaceous plants. Seeds and divisions in 

 spring ; dry, sandy soil. 

 M. acumina' turn (long-pointed). See LACTUCA ACUMI- 



NATA. 



alba'num (Mount-Alban). See LACTUCA RACEMOSA. 

 alpi'num (alpine). See LACTUCA ALPINA. 

 cacaliafo'lium (Cacalia-leaved). 4-5. Blue. Cau- 

 casus. 1899. 



giganie'um (giant). 6-8. Blue-violet. 1889. 

 macrorhi'zum (large-rooted). See LACTUCA MACROR- 

 HIZA. 



MULLEIN. Verba'scum. 



MU'NDTIA. (Commemorative of Herr Heinrich Mundt, 

 a German botanist. Nat. ord. Milkworts [Polygalacea]. 

 Linn. ij-Diadelphia, 3-Octandria. Allied to Muraltia.) 



The fruit is eatable. Greenhouse evergreen shrubs, 

 from South Africa. Cuttings of stiff young side-shoots 

 in May, in sand, under a bell-glass, and in a close, cold 

 pit or frame ; sandy peat. Winter temp., 40 to 45. 

 M. spino'sa (spiny). 3. White. March. 1780. 

 angustifo'lia (narrow-leaved). 3. Purple. March. 



1800. 



,, ,, latifo'lia (broad-leaved). 3. Lilac. February. 

 1800. 



MUNRO'NIA. (A commemorative name. Nat. ord. 

 Meliaceae.) 



Greenhouse evergreen tree. Cuttings in sand under 

 a bell-glass. Loam, peat, and sand. 

 M. Walli'chii (Wallich's). 15. Pale rose. March. 

 Himalaya. 1828. 



MUNTTNGIA. (Named after A. Munting, a German 

 botanist. Nat. ord. Lindenblooms [Tiliacea;]. Linn. 

 i^-Polyandria, i-Monogynia. Allied to Tilia.) 



Stove evergreen shrub, known as the Calabu'ra in 

 South America. Cuttings of half-ripened shoots in sand, 

 under a glass, in heat ; sandy, fibrous loam and leaf- 

 mould. Winter temp., 48 to 58 ; summer, 60 to 85. 

 M. Calabu'ra (Calabura). 3. White. June. Jamaica. 

 1690. 



MURA'LTIA. (Named after /. V. Muralt, a Swiss 

 botanist. Nat. ord. Milkworts [Polygalaceae]. Linn. 

 i7-Diadelphia, ^-Oclandria. Allied to Polygala.) 



Greenhouse evergreens, all but one purple-flowered, 

 and all from South Africa. Cuttings of short young 

 shoots in sandy peat, under a glass ; chiefly peat earth, 

 with a good portion of sand. Winter temp., 40 to 48*. 

 M. alopecuroi' des (foxtail-like). 3. June. 1800. 

 cilia'ris (hair-f ringed-tea^). 3. May. 1824. 

 , diffu'sa (straggling). See M. STIPULACEA. 

 , filifo'rmis(ihTead.-foTm-branched). ij. August. 1812. 

 Heiste'ria (Heisteria). 6. January. 1787. 

 hu'milis (humble), i. June. 1818. 

 juniperifo'lia (juniper-leaved). 3. June. 1810. 

 linophy'lla, (flax-leaved). See M. FILIFORMIS. 

 macro'ceras (large-horned). 3. 1812. 

 micra'ntha (small-flowered), ij. 1800. 

 mi'xta (mixed). 3. 1791. 

 squarro'sa (spreading). 3. May. 1820. 

 siipula'cei (stipuled). 3. Red. June. iSor. 

 virga'ta (twiggy). See M. FILIFORMIS. 



