Vol. IX.— No 4. 



AND HOIITICULTURAL JOLRNAL. 



29 



which was iilso attrilnitpJ to the exrossivc dryness 

 of the air, which produced a kind of conipression, 

 and deprived them of the faculty of reproduc- 

 tion. 



Like attempts have several times been made in 

 other parts of Senegal and particularly at Rich- 

 ard-Tol, which have not 'ocen crowned with more 

 favorable results . 



The cocoons produced by these various ex- 

 periments, were of different size.i, according to 

 the period when they were developed. Some- 

 times, they have been equal in weight to these 

 produced in Europe ; the silk did not yield in 

 beauty, to that of the latter, which is an unequiv- 

 ncal proof in favor of the use of the INlorus Mul- 

 tieaulis, for feeding silk worms. 



It is desirable that the persons in Prance, who 

 now possess a number of these mulberries, should 

 nakc comparative experiments with their leaves, 

 md of those of the Morus ^iJiba, for the education 

 i{ silk worms. It is probable that the first will 

 je generally preferred.* 



Besides the advantages which we have above 

 lamed, we may still add, that they are admirably 

 •alo'jlated for forming regular plantations ; that 

 hey can be placed very" near without an injurl- 

 >us effect; and by hea(!ing down the stalks, an- 

 lually, near the ground, a rich vegetation is pro- 

 luced with a complete dovelopmeut of vigorous 

 (ranches and leaves ; and finally, it is easy to 

 oultiply them by thousands, from the, roots, in 

 he course of a year, and to form vast and reg- 

 ilar plantations of them the second. But a few 

 ears, then, are sufficient to obtain considerable 

 (elds in full vigor, sufficient to support an im- 

 nense quantity of silk worms, and that with the 

 reatest facility, as they are reproduced in a man- 

 ler, almost indefinite. 



Besides, this mulberry braves the most rigar. 

 lis winters. We saw on our arrival at Havre, 



July last, in the field of M. A. Eyries, plants, 

 vhich had endured, in the open ground, the 

 /inter of 1828, and which appeared vigorous and 

 eautiful. 



Tliis species will be readily acclimated in Eu- 

 »pe, because it originated from an analogous re- 

 iion, as to climate, to that which we inhabit. It 

 ippears not to suffer from the excessive cold of 

 Qe northern, or the intense heat of the intertropi- 

 lal regions, for the plants deposited in the gardens 

 If the Government at Cayenne, acquired, in the 

 ipace of eight months, a truly remarkable dnvcl- 

 ipment, and at the time of our departure from 

 hat colony, in June, 1321, they were clothed 

 rfth leaves of an extraordinary size. Those also 

 rhich we cultivated at Senegal, although .sit- 

 ated under a dry and scorching sky, and planted 



1 an ariil soil, offered an appearance, sufficiently 

 itisfactory ; but they had acquired less dcvelop- 

 iient, in all respects, than those which have veg- 

 tated under the hnmiil climate of Guiana. 



CULTURE. 



The many stalked mulberry, generally accom- 

 nioduti's itself to all kinds of soil ; but we have re- 

 marked its vegetation was most vigorous, and 

 the produce of leaves most abundant, when plac- 

 ed in a friable, light and rich soil. Its long and 

 tender roots absorb with great avidity the nutri- 

 tive salts of the earth ; and besides, its imper- 

 fectly ligneous branches being very porous, eqiial- 



These two bushes were sent on board the ves- 

 sel, in which we were to eml)ark, and divided 

 into six parts. These were immediately placed 

 in two large boxes filled with rich, light earth. 

 The stalks were cut off, to the height of about 

 eighteen inches, in order to place them, more 

 commodiously, in the situation which had been 

 designated for them, in the ship. The branches 

 answered for cuttings ; not any were thrown away ; 



ly explains the facility with which they pump up] all were reduced into pieces, of from four to 



the humidity of the earth and leave it dry. Our 

 observations, in this respect, induce ns to believe, 

 that the development of the numerous' branches, 

 and leaves of this shrub is accelerated in pro- 

 portion to the frequency and regularity with 

 which the soil is impregnated with humidity. The 



inches in length, and put into boxes, filled with 

 light earth ; this gave us two imndred and fifty 

 cuttings, which, during the two months, occupied 

 in the voyage from Manilla to the Isle of Bour- 

 bon, took root without exception. They had even 

 filled the boxes' with numerous roots, and devel- 



form of the leaves also varies, according to the ' oped branches, from a foot and a half to two feet 

 nature of the soil ; they are large and cordiform j in length. We also remarked, that some of theiri, 

 m a rich soil, but small, eliptical and without the wiiich had been set out without any buds at the 

 heart shajjcd indentation, at the base, in a dry and , base as is generally done, and whose wood had 

 arid soil. The branches are filled with fructifi- | scarcely a ligneous consistence in jhis part, had 



* We learn that the wish expressed by M. Perrot- 

 it has been fulfilled, in a great degree on the one 

 de by M. Delille, Profesor at Montpelier, and 

 a the other, by M. Loiseleur-Deslongchamps at 

 'aris. 



The last named gentleman has transmitted to us 

 he following note on this subject. 



'From a little experiment, made with the leaves of 

 lie Morus Multicaulis, an account of which I shall 

 oon publish, they have appeared to be at least as 

 dvantageous, for the nourishment of silk worms, as 

 hose of the common white mulberry ; and that the 

 ocoons, made by the worms, fed only with leaves 

 f'this species, are even rather heavier.' 



cation in this last named soil, which rarely hap 

 pens in the first. It appears expedient, then, 

 that plantations of this mulberry should be made 

 upon a humid rather than a dry soil, to obtain in 

 all respects a satisfactory result; for a too great 

 quantity of water does not appear to have been 

 injurious to it, even when the roots have been 

 <ifien covered ; on the contrary, it is the situation 

 in which the leaves are more completely devel- 

 oped. Moving the earth between tho plants, 

 with the hoe and spade at proper times, has an 

 excellent effect upon this shrub ; it facilitates, in 

 a singular manner, the formation of new rootlets, 

 and consequently increases the number of spong- 

 lets, or absorbing mouths. 



It not being natural for this mulberry to grow 

 tall or to form any trimk, properly so called, reg- 

 ular plantations can be formed of it, without diffi- 

 culty by planting the shrubs at a distance of six 

 or eight feet from each other, — a space sufficient 

 for the extension of the branches, to facilitate the 

 culture and fjr collecting the leaves. This last 

 operation is so much facilitated by the flexibility 

 of the stalks, that-a child is sufficient for furnish- 

 ing the food, of a large establishment of silk worms. 



In order that the developement of the principle 

 stalks may be completely effected, it is necessary 

 to suppress all those, which do not present the 

 aspect of a vigorous constitution, and which, 

 from their excessive numbers may be directly in- 

 jurious to the others. The stalks can also be an- 

 nually headed down, at will, to a certain height, 

 with the view of producing a new and more vig- 

 orous vegetation. This method practised at Sen- 

 egal, has generally i)rod(iced satisfactory results. 



We have already remarked, with what singu- 

 lar facility this mulberry can be propagated. In 

 fact it only requires to insert a cutting a few in- 

 ches into the earth, and in a short time roots are 

 produced, with a considerable development of 

 yoimg shoots. The numerous plants, which are 

 already disseminated in the divers climates of 

 Africa, America, and Europe, have been all pro- 

 duced, from the two individuals, which we pro- 

 cured at Manilla. 



The fortunate discovery of this precious shrub 

 took place in the garden of a Chinese cultivator, 

 who, after having informed us of its properties, 

 and the important purpose for which it was used 

 in his own country, yielded to our solicitations, 

 and sold us two bushes for ten Spanish piasters, 

 assuring us, that he had introduced it into Manil- 

 la, where it had been considerably extended. 



not only developed roots, but several shoots, 

 which formed as many distinct stalks. This new 

 vegetation appears to be attributaljle to the nu- 

 merous lenticula;, with which the bark of the 

 shoots is covered, which confirms the opinion, 

 which we have long entertained, that these len- 

 ticula; were endowed with a property of produc- 

 ing roots and buds; or that .some of them may 

 exclusively develope buds and others roots. Not 

 having had an opportunity to verify this assertion, 

 by direct observation, we present it here but as a 

 mere suspicion. 



We letY at the Isle of Bourbon a part of the 

 scions, which had taken root, with two of the old 

 plants, detached from the bushes, of which we 

 have spoken. The remainder were preserved for 

 Cayenne and France. 



The manner of making cuttings of this mul- 

 berry is not difiicult ; it is sufficient to cut the 

 branches into pieces eight or ten inches long, at 

 most, and always to leave on the part destined to be 

 put in the ground, good buds and especially one at 

 the end ; for although the roots are fiirmed, 

 without the aid of this organ, it is not less true, 

 that their development is much tnore promjit, 

 when the scions are provided with it. It is not 

 necessary to leave more than one bud on the up- 

 per end of the cutting.* 



Prepared in this manner, tho cuttings should he 

 placed in a moist and rich soil, and a shaded sit- 

 uation, — that is to say, so covered, as to protect 

 them, for some timc-^ from the rays of the sun, 

 which might otherwise occasion too great a trans- 

 piration. It will be beneficial to water them 

 slightly, from time to time, so as to keep the soil 

 constantly refreshed, without being too wet. It 

 would, perhaps, be advantageous, in an European 

 climate, to cut the scions in March and plant them 

 in a warm bed, without being covered with glass, 

 but merely with mats. We think t;)i3 method 

 will advance the plants and render thnra stronger 



* 'In confirmation of this advice, we insert the 

 following observation, which M. Loiseleur-Deslong- 

 champs, has communicated.' This shrub is not on- 

 ly produced, in the common mode, by cuttings ; but 

 cuttings with a single eye, take with facility, which 

 offers a great advantage, in rapidily multiplying this 

 plant. Cuttings with a single eye, which had but 

 just been planted, when I read a note on this sub- 

 ject, in the meeting of the Hon. Soc. on the I7th, 

 of June, had almost all made shoots 18 or 20 inches 

 long, by the end of October, and some of them had 

 obtained a length of 3 feet and one of four. 



