THE MULBERRY. 141 



sesses, in a higher degree, the qualities of toughness 

 and elasticity; and therefore none can be better for 

 the shafts of light carriages, and every other purpose 

 where a small body and weight of timber is required 

 to stand a great strain. The very best ash, the 

 toughest of our native timber, is greatly inferior to 

 lance wood, both in strength and elasticity; and in 

 consequence of ash being open and varied in the grain, 

 while lance wood is close and uniform, it does not 

 carve so well into ornaments, take so smooth a polish, 

 or admit of being varnished with so little labour. 



The Hassagay Tree ( Curtisia faginea) is a larger 

 growing tree than the lance wood, being one of the 

 largest timber trees in Africa. Its leaves resemble 

 those of the birch; the timber is compact, firm, and 

 very stiff. It is not so much used in this country as 

 the former. 



MULBERRY. 



The mulberry is a tree of singular and varied uses 

 to man, not so much on account of its timber (for 

 though the timber be close and strong, and very 

 durable, the tree is rather a slow grower) as for its 

 leaves and its bark, and the dye that is obtained from 

 the wood of at least one of the species. 



Of the mulberry (Morus) there are many species; 

 and though none of them are natives of England, or 

 probably of Europe, some are sufficiently hardy to 

 thrive in most, and bear fruit in many, parts of Britain. 

 The white mulberry (Morus alba) is rather a deli- 

 cate tree, though it grows very well in Spain, Italy, 

 and the south of France. The berries of it are light 

 coloured and insipid. 



The black mulberry (Morus nigra] is a larger and 

 more hardy tree; the fruit is a blackish red, and has 

 much more taste than that of the other. The timber 

 of both these species is very durable: it will last as 



