THE NURSERY. [MARCH 



ground about them should be covered with moss to prevent its dry- 

 ing ; and where this is carefully done, they will want but little water, 

 and will succeed much better than with having too much wet. 



The Morus rubra, or red American mulberry, is admired by some 

 on account of the pleasant acidity of its fruit, and is said to answer 

 the end of feeding silk-worms very well. It is cultivated like every 

 other kind, by layers, cuttings, and seed. 



The white mulberry prospers best in a moist rich loam, the black, 

 in a dry sandy soil, and the red in a mean between both these kinds. 



The Morus multicaulis. Since the preceding was written this new 

 variety of the mulberry has been introduced to the attention of the 

 American public. Its introduction marks a new era in the silk his- 

 tory of the United States. It has already become so rapidly and ex- 

 tensively known that little more need be said upon it here than to 

 remark that it differs from the other varieties, particularly from the 

 white or Italian mulberry, in the luxuriance with which it sends up 

 its " many stalks;" the increased size of the leaf, and the small por- 

 tion of refuse left by the worms in feeding. It also is distinguished 

 by its foliage, furnishing food for the worms to considerable extent 

 during the first season of its growth, and in great abundance after 

 the second and third year. The product from the seed is so uncer- 

 tain, and the propagation by layers and cuttings so easy, that the 

 preference is invariably given to the latter mode of cultivation. A 

 good rich soil, aided by compost or well fermented manure, should 

 be chosen when the planting is intended simply for multiplying the 

 trees, though for feeding the worms the preference is decidedly in 

 favor of a foliage grown on a dry, sandy or gravelly loam, the latter 

 furnishing silk of a better quality, with less risk of endangering the 

 life of the worm. As to the particular mode of cultivation, it is 

 generally conceded to be as simple as that of corn. The ground 

 should be ploughed in the fall, and again in the spring. 



The " Silk Worm" a valuable periodical, published by Mr. 

 Thomas C. Clarke, of this city, and devoted to the advancement of 

 this rapidly increasing business, furnishes the following directions for 

 planting, which we find corroborated by other writers on this sub- 

 ject, as well as by practical cultivators. 



" There are four methods of planting these trees. 1st, by bud- 

 ding under glass ; 2d, by cuttings laid out at the usual season ; 3d, 

 by layers of whole trees ; and 4th, by layers of sections or parts of 

 trees. 



" The cuttings should always be made at least with one bud, and 

 that within a quarter to half an inch of the end intended to be next 

 the surface. When they are budded, there should be a box made 

 about two feet on the back and eighteen inches in front, covered 

 with glass lids with hinges of iron or leather, so that they may be 

 aired. This box should be filled two-thirds full with rich mould, or 

 mould enriched with well-rotted manure. The cuttings should be 

 inserted in this in a sloping direction at an angle of 45, the upper 

 end towards the north, the bud below the surface half an inch, and 

 the whole box towards the south. The cuttings should be from a 

 quarter to half an inch apart, so that the mould may be all around 



