188 SELECT PLANTS FOR INDUSTRIAL CULTURE 



silk ova for Europe, where the worms had extensively fallen 

 victims to disease. Instances have been recorded in California, 

 where eight tons of leaves were gathered in the first year from 

 the mulberry trees of one acre, and thirty tons in the next 

 year. As an example of the profit thus to be realised, a 

 Calif ornian fact may be cited, according to which 700 

 were the clear gain from 3J acres, the working expenses 

 having been 93. The Commissioner of Agriculture of the 

 United States has estimated that under ordinary circumstances 

 an acre should support from 700 to 1,000 mulberry trees, 

 producing 5,000 Ibs. of leaves fit for food when four years old. 

 On this quantity of leaves can be reared 140,000 worms, from 

 which ova at a net profit ranging from 80 to 240 per acre 

 will be obtained by the work of one person. Mr. C. Brady, 

 of Sydney, thinks the likely proceeds of silk culture to be 

 from 60 to 150 for the acre. The discrepancies in calcu- 

 lations of this kind are explained by differences in clime, soil, 

 attention, and treatment. 



The White Mulberry Tree has been very copiously distributed 

 from Melbourne Botanic Garden for many years. A very 

 palatable fruit is obtained from a variety cultivated in Bel- 

 oochistan and Afghanistan. Morus Tartarica (L.) resembles 

 M. alba. Its juicy fruit is insipid and small. The leaves are 

 not generally used for silkworms. 



The results of Mr. Brady's experience on the varieties of the 

 Morus alba are as follows : In the normal form the fruits 

 are white with a purplish tinge more or less deep ; the bark is 

 pale ; the leaf is also of a pale hue, not very early nor very- 

 tender, nor very abundant. It may be grown on moist 

 ground as long as such is drained, or it will live even on 

 poor, loose, gravelly soil, bordering on running water. The 

 Cevennes variety is a free grower, affords a large quantity of 

 leaves, though of rather thick consistence ; all varieties of the 

 Morus Bombyx like these leaves at all stages of their age. 

 It is also called the Rose-leaved variety. The silk which it 

 yields is substantial in quantity and also good in quality. It 

 does best on rich dry slopes. The bushy Indian variety has 

 a fine leaf of a beautiful green, which, though light in weight, 

 is abundantly produced. It can be cut back to the stem 

 three or four times a year ; the leaves are flat, long, and 

 pointed, possess a fine aroma, and are relished by every 

 variety of the ordinary silk insect, though all do not thrive 

 equally well on it. The silk derived from this variety is 

 excellent, but not always so heavy in quantity as that 

 produced from the rosy variety. It prefers rich, low-lying 

 bottoms, is a greedy feeder, but may thus be made to cover an 



