282 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



Morchella conica. Persoon. 



Europe, Asia. Northern and Central America, northward to lat. 

 70 in Norway. With M. semilibera this Morel has been found in 

 Victoria and New South Wales ; its spread should be encouraged 

 by artificial means, as it is a wholesome esculent. Kohlrausch and 

 Siegel found 29 to 35 per cent, of protein in Morels when dried. 

 European superior species, probably admitting of introduction, are: 

 M. esculenta, M. Gigas, Pers., M. rimosipes, D.C., M. Bohemica, 

 Krombh., M. deliciosa, Fries (which extends to Java), M. patula r 

 Pers. and M. Smithiana, the Bell-Morel ; but several others occur 

 in other parts of the globe. Though these fungs show a predilection 

 for pine-forests, they are not dependent upon them ; thus the 

 writer found M. conica (Persoon} in Eucalyptus-forests, and this 

 late in the autumn. M. esculenta is an early spring-species. M. 

 Smithiana is over a foot high. They can all be dried and preserved 

 for culinary purposes. Morels contain some poison-principle, called 

 Helvella-acid, which needs removal by boiling them in water ; this 

 acid is volatile or readily decomposed, so that dried Morels are 

 nearly free of it [Boehm and Kuelz]. 



Moring-a pteryg-osperma, Gaertner. 



The Horseradish-Tree of India, abundant as far as the middle 

 regions of the mountains. Height to about 20 feet, but thick- 

 stemmed. Fruits in Eastern subtropic Australia copiously. The 

 plant is reared readily. The long pods are of culinary use ; the 

 seeds are somewhat almond-like and rich in oil, which has no per- 

 ceptible smell, and is esteemed by watchmakers particularly. Gum 

 exudes from the stem. M. aptera (Gaertner) occurs from Abyssinia 

 and from Egypt to Arabia and Syria. M. Concanensis (Nimmo) is an 

 allied species from the drier regions of North-Western India. 



Morus alba, Linne.* 



The White Mulberry-tree. Upper India and Western China, 

 This tree in several varieties provides the food for the ordinary 

 Chinese silk-insect (Bombyx Mori). Silk was produced in Italy 

 700 years ago, and this branch of industry has nourished there ever 

 since. In China silk has been reeled for 4,500 years ; this may 

 demonstrate the permanency of an industry, which we wish to 

 establish extensively anywhere under a similar sky. " One pound 

 of silk is worth its weight in silver, and this pound may be pro- 

 duced (so far as the food of the Bombyx is concerned) from thirty 

 pounds of mulberry -leaves or from a single tree,' which may thus 

 be brought to yield annually the material for 16 yards of Gros de 

 Naples " [B. Thompson]. The White Mulberry- tree is of extremely 

 easy growth from cuttings, also readily raised from well-matured 

 seeds. It is usually unisexual, and finally attains a very large size, 

 It can still be grown in climes, where olives will no longer thrive. 

 In .Norway the tree bore seeds in lat. 59 55' [Schuebeler]. It 

 passed through years of severe drought in Central Australia [Rev. 



