cuttings, but propagation from seed is easier and produces better- 

 plants. 



Fruit is borne abundantly. The seed may be separated by crushing 

 and washing the berries. After drying, the seed should be kept in 

 a cool, dry place until a week or ten days previous to sowing. The 

 seed may be SOW T II as soon as it ripens, but generally the better practice 

 is to wait until the following spring, so that the seedlings will have 

 an entire season in which to grow before the coming of cold weather. 

 The seed should be sown in fresh, fertile soil, and covered not more 

 than one-half inch. About one to two weeks are required for germi- 

 nation. Better results are obtained by mixing the seed with moist 

 sand and keeping the mixture in a warm place until germination 

 begins. The sand and seed can then be sown together on a well- 

 prepared bed. The bed should be covered with one-eighth inch of 

 sifted loam. The growth during the first season will be enough to 

 bring the trees to proper size for transplanting to the permanent site 

 the following spring. 



PLANTING. 



The Kussian mulberry should be spaced close in a plantation, in order 

 to overcome, as much as possible, its inherent tendency to branched 

 and crooked growth. For windbreaks, consisting of one or two rows, 

 the trees may be planted at 2 or 3 foot intervals, and in plantations 

 they may be spaced 4 by 4 feet or 4 by 6 feet. The Russian mulberry 

 is found more often in mixed than in pure plantations. Its ability 

 to thrive under partial shade makes it well suited for planting with 

 light-demanding species, such as black locust, honey locust, black 

 walnut, and green ash. 



CULTIVATION AND CARE. 



Cultivation should be thorough and continued until the ground 

 is rather fully shaded. When the trees begin to crowd, the plantation 

 should be heavily th;nned. The trees remaining should then be 

 pruned to a height of 8 or 10 feet. 

 Approved : 



JAMES WILSON, 



Secretary. 



WASHINGTON, D. C., May 31, 1907. 



[Cir. 83] 



o 



