I 



in Extra-Tropical Countries. 221 



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- 

 Eombyx like these leaves, whether young or old; it is also called the 

 Rose-leaved variety; the silk, which it yield-s, is substantial in quan- 

 tity 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 iu 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 extraordinary 

 breadth of alluvial or manured land in a marvellously short space of 

 time. At Sydney Mr. Brady can provide leaves from this Indian 

 variety all through the year by the removal of cuttings, which will 

 strike their roots almost at any season; it also ripens seeds readily, 

 and should be kept at bush-size; it requires naturally less space than 

 the other kinds. A fourth variety comes from North-China; it has 

 heart-shaped, flat, thick! sh leaves, which form very good food for the 

 silkworm. Mr. Brady, as well as Mr. Martelli, recommend very par- 

 ticularly the variety passing under the name of Morus multicaulis for 

 the worms in their earliest stages. The former recommends the Cape- 

 variety also; the latter wishes likewise the variety called Morus 

 Morettiana to be used on account of its succulent nutritious foliage, so 

 well adapted for the insect, while yet very young, and also on account 

 of producing the largest amount of food within the shortest time. The 

 Manilla-variety, above mentioned as Morus multicaulis, comes into 

 bearing several weeks earlier than most other sorts, and should there- 

 fore be at hand for early hatched worms. An excellent phytological 

 exposition of the numerous varieties of the White Mulberry-tree is 

 given in De. Candolle's prodromus xvn. 238-245 (1873). 



The Muscardine-disease is produced by Botrytis Bassiana, while the 

 still more terrible Pebrine-disease is caused by a minute psorospermous 

 organism. On the Pebrine Pasteur's researches since 1865 have shed 

 much light. Countries like ours, happily free from these pests, can 

 thus rear healthy silk-ova at a high premium for exportion. 



The White Mulberry-tree with others, offering food to the silk- 

 worms, such as the osage-orange, should be planted copiousty every- 

 where for hedges or copses. A very soft textible fibre is obtained 

 from the bark of the Chinese Mulberry-tree. 



Morus celtidifolia, Humboldt. 



From Peru to Mexico, ascending to 8,000 feet. The fruit of this 

 Mulberry-tree is edible. M. insignis (Planchon), from New Granada, 

 is a similar species; it reaches elevations of 11,000 feet; is therefore 

 a plant fit also for the cold temperate zone, and deserves thus 

 general cultural attention. 



