FARMERS' REGISTER- CHINESE MULBERRY. 



737 



nre the violets of the poets; for though our woods | marshy and wet, or where a moderate supply of 



abound i» wild species, none of them unfortunately 



have any fragrance. It is tlie former that is so 



beautifully spoken of by Shakspeare, in the pas- 



Bajre, 



—-"The sweet 5?outh 



That breathes upon a baiilc of violets, 

 Stealing and giving odor." 



The Lilly of the Valley and the Hyacinth are 

 Well known plants, deservedly favorites for their 

 purity uiul fragrance. The White Lilly (Zy. con- 

 didaiii) still more i:o]iu!ar, and the jooct's Narcis- 

 sus, the Monardn, with its mint-like smell, and the 

 Rose-scented Chinese Vivanmi^P . fragrans,) to- 

 gether with the above, make a charming bouquet 

 of sweets which, it should be iu the power of every 

 one to gather who has a rood of ground to cuhi- 

 vate. Nor should the Evening Primrose ( CEiio- 

 thera) though the common, which disperses i;s 

 balmy fragrance only in tlie evening, and the in- 

 conspicuous yet delicious Mignonette, be forgotten. 

 'J'he sweet scented shrub ( Calycanthus florida') 

 similar in odor to the pine-apple — the Magnolia 

 glauca, the spicy smelling Clethra, the Syringa, 

 and the fragrant yellow blossoming Currant of 

 Missouri QRibes aureum,') all native shrubs of our 

 own continent, have been long appreciated abroad 

 for their elegant and odoriferous flowers. None 

 of the above plants are rare; on the contrary they 

 may all be easily procured, and the increase and 

 dissemination of them around our houses of every 

 description would tend to make the city residence 

 more agreeable and the air of the country still 

 more refreshing and delightful. 



There are many fine fruits neglected or but little 

 cultivated in this country, which are highly de- 

 serving of the notice of the horticulturist. The 

 English Walnut, or as we term it, Rladeria nut 

 (Juglans regia,) the fruit of which is annually 

 imported and offered for sale in the shops, will 

 thrive and bear abundant crops when in a genial 

 situation south of 43"^ of latitude.* The fine ap- 

 pearance of the tree, added to its claims as an ex- 

 cellent fruit Avhen ripe for the fable, and in a green 

 state lor pickling, ought to recommend it universally 

 to a place in the orchard or ornamental jilantation. 

 The Spanish chestnut, with fruit four times the size 

 of our wild species, and the new varieties of fil- 

 bert, bearing abundant crops of delicious fruit, 

 only need to be better known to be souglit after 

 with avidity, as they (particularly the latter) 

 thrive in our climate with very trithng care. 

 The Black European Mulberry (J/od/s nigra) 

 also grows well in a warm situation, and bears 

 fruit of double the size and finer in flavor than the 

 American. 



In many situations in the Eastern Stales the 

 common cranberrj' is produced in such profusion 

 as to supply the wants of all the neighboring in- 

 habitants; but in the other states and districts, less 

 abounding with marshy and swampy land, its ber- 

 ries, so much esteemed for tarts, &c. are so rarely 

 found growing wild as to be an article of luxuiy. 

 In such situations it may be gratifying to some 

 cultivators to know that they may be raised in the 

 greatest abundance in any situation tolerably 



water may he commanded. A few stakes should 

 be driven in at the intended width of the bed to be 

 made. Inside of these place some boards to hold 

 the soil. Throw in to fill the bottom some small 

 stones, and upon the top of them ei<;^hlor ten Indi- 

 es of black bog earth, so that the lower three or 

 four inches ai-e immersed in the surrounding wa- 

 ter. In this bed a few plants should be set, which 

 will, in the same manner as the strawberry, soon 

 cover the whole surface. The crofis obtained will 

 be both abundant and regular, and a small area 

 will supply a large family. 



A. J. DOWNING. 



Botanic Garden and Nursery, Newburgh, near 

 New- York. 



*A tree growing liere which bears excellent fruit, 

 now twenty years old, measures three feet in circum- 

 ference at two feet from tlie ground. 



Vol. n— 58 



[The following axticle which presents facts apparent- 

 ly opposed to the opinion that the Chinese Mulberry 

 cannot be propagated by seeds, was received alter 

 the foregoing was in type.] 



From the Genosee Fanner. 

 THE CHIKKSK MULBERRY. 



(Morus multicaidis.) 



We have received a number of letters from our 

 distant friends, inquiring for seeds of the Chinese 

 Mulberry; and Ave state in reply that we are not 

 aware that any are, or have been, for sale in this 

 country. The difficulty of procuring these seeds 

 from China, is mentioned in an article which may 

 be found in the 43rd page of our current volume, 

 copied from the Norlham'pton Courier. It appears 

 however, that some were obtained through tiie 

 aid of an American missionary at Canton; and 

 that the experiments of last sunmier in Massa- 

 chusetts have fully proved that the leaves of these 

 seedlings are as large, and the plants as vigorous 

 and thrifty as those raised from cuttings or layers 

 of the Chinese Mulberry. 



This result is very satisfactory. In France, seeds 

 hearing that name, said to be also from China, 

 were sowed; but they produced other kinds, and 

 it was therefore hastily inferred that M. mvlticaulis 

 was not a distinct species. The seeds were evi- 

 dently spurious. An editorial article in the last 

 volume of the American Farmer says, "Thewri- 

 of this, has gathered ripe fruit from a tree only 

 thirteen months old; and has at this time a tree 

 growing fi-om seed ripened at that time." This is 

 The only instance that has come to our knowledge 

 of the Chinese Mulberry having produced good 

 seed in the United States. We have a tree how- 

 ever, about eight feet high, which Ave intend to 

 prune this spring with a special vicAV to its produ- 

 cing seed. 



But Ave Avould not intimate that this mode of 

 ■ p.ropagating the tree Avill be preferable to layers 

 or cuttings, except Avhere we Avant to transmit the 

 means of cultivating it, to distant places. It is 

 \-ery doubtful if seed Avill be of much account un- 

 der any other circumstances. G'ideon B. Smith, 

 lor manv Aears editor of the American F"'armer, 

 says "Thi.s mulberry bears no fruit, or rather it is 

 so miraite, and so small in (juanthy, that the pro- 

 pag:ttion of it fi-om seed is seldom practised. Rut 

 like all other vegetables of difiicult propagation by 

 seed, it is remarkably easy of reproduction by 

 otlier means. By laying doAvn the young trees,^ 

 covering them with earth, and leaving the ends of 



