FRUIT-GARDENING. 125 



PROPAGATION BY SEEDS. 



The plants are sometimes raised from seed, and one ounce 

 of seed will produce five thousand trees, if sown in rich loamy 

 soil in the latter part of April, or early in May. But the 

 young plants will require protection the first winter. The 

 berries are put in a sack of coarse cloth, crushed with a foot 

 or with the hands, and the pulpy matter all washed out, leav- 

 ing the seeds quite clean. They are then spread out on 

 boards or cloth, and dried in the shade, and kept in a cool and 

 dry apartment till planting-time. The soil should be very 

 mellow, and in a good state of fertility. The seeds may be 

 planted in drills four feet apart, and not more than one inch 

 deep. Half an inch deep is better. If the soil be heavy, 

 cover the seed with leaf-mould, or some other fine and mellow 

 dirt. Cultivate between the drills with a horse-hoe ; and dress 

 out the young plants as if they were carrots. 



PROPAGATION BY LAYERS. 



The different kinds of Mulberry are more commonly propa- 

 gated by layers and cuttings put down in the spring. The 

 ground is well prepared and enriched the previous year ; and 

 the cuttings are taken from the trees early in the spring, or 

 even in the winter, and kept like scions till the ground is ready 

 to receive them. Transplant the cuttings as recommended for 

 currants (which see on a previous page), and cultivate in drills 

 till the young trees are of a suitable size to transplant. The 

 Italian variety is frequently grafted on seedling stocks of the 

 common sort, in order to preserve it from degenerating. In 

 the East Indies, the plants are raised from cuttings, three or 

 four of which are placed together, where they are finally to 

 remain. 



THE FRUIT. 



Mulberry-trees are valuable for their fruit ; and in England 



