MARCH} THE NURSERY, 297 



each cutting. They should be placed in this position about the 1st 

 of March, and let remain to the 15th or 20th of May. The late 

 frosts should be all over when removed, and they should be placed in 

 well prepared soil with a trowel dibble, the soil pressed well around 

 them, and well watered if the weather be not rainy. The planting 

 of these should, if possible, be done in rainy or at least cloudy wea- 

 ther. 



"The cuttings of the second method should be inserted in the soil 

 without dibble, the upper end to be about one inch under the soil, if 

 the mould be loose, or even with the soil if the mould be stubborn. 

 When they come up an inch or two, let the hoe draw carefully mould 

 around them. 



" By the third method, the ground is prepared as for corn, well 

 broken with the harrow, and if necessary, the roller ; and let a cul- 

 tivator be run with one horse, from three to four feet, in parallel lines, 

 forming a furrow as for corn. 



" The trees are laid horizontally, the root of one to the top of 

 another from one end of the row to another, the root laid deeper 

 than the tree, and let the hoe cover them about one or one and a 

 half inches. 



"The fourth method is by cutting a tree up into pieces of from 

 twelve to fifteen inches, and laying them in the furrow, prepared as 

 in the last method, so as to leave a space between each piece equal to 

 the length of the cutting." 



THE PAPER MULBERRY, AND METHOD OP MAKING PAPER OF 

 ITS BARK. 



The Morns papyrtfera, or paper mulberry. This tree makes very 

 strong vigorous shoots, but seems not to be of tall growth; it drives 

 up an abundance of suckers from the roots, by which it is easily pro- 

 pagated. The leaves are large, some of them entire, others cut into 

 two, three, or four lobes, sporting themselves into various forms, and 

 scarcely two to be found alike on the same tree, especially while 

 young; they are of a dark green, and rough to the touch on the 

 upper surface, but pale green and somewhat hairy on the under side, 

 falling off on the first approach of frost in autumn. Their fruit is 

 little larger than peas, surrounded with long purplish hairs, when 

 ripe changing to a black purple color, and full of sweet juice. 



It is a native of Japan and the South Sea Islands ; and according 

 to Mr. Miller, of China and South Carolina, whence he received the 

 seeds. The inhabitants of Japan have, for ages, been in the habit 

 of making paper from its bark : they cultivate the trees for this 

 purpose, on the mountains, much in the same manner as we do 

 osiers, cutting them all down for use every autumn after the leaves 

 are fallen. 



The finest and whitest cloth worn by the principal people at 

 Otaheite and in the Sandwich Islands, is made of the bark of this 

 tree; which they frequently dye red. The bread fruit-tree makes a 

 cloth inferior in whiteness and softness, worn there chiefly by the 

 common people. 



