PRODUCTS WE MIGHT GROW. 103 



from the trees, and given, either whole or chopped, to the 

 worms on trays prepared for the purpose. In this climate 

 the wholesale lopping off of branches, even from a shrub 

 tree, would soon result in its destruction ; while small- 

 leaved trees would call for an amount of labor in picking 

 the leaves that would increase the cost of production to a 

 perhaps almost prohibitory extent ; so that a modified 

 process seems most likely to succeed. 



Varieties of Mulberry for Silk. Of the great numbers 

 of mulberry trees imported into Australia, five or six seem 

 most suitable. The first is that known as the morus 

 multicaulis or large-leaved, or, as some call it, the Chinese 

 mulberry. Its first value is that the worm seems to prefer 

 the young leaves to those of any other kind ; its second is 

 economy in picking, since from the great size of the leaves 

 a few will feed more than a considerable quantity of the 

 other sorts. This, however, only holds good of the first 

 crop the second growth is harder and poorer feed ; but 

 by that time other varieties, the morus alba and morus 

 nigra, come into use, and the silk produced by feeding upon 

 their leaves is said to be Al. These two kinds again 

 present each two varieties the rose-leaved and the oak- 

 leaved the fruit-bearing morus alba and morus nigra 

 being oak-leaved mulberries. In rich, loose soils, leaves of 

 considerable size and great richness of texture are 

 produced. Generally, the multicaulis begins to break into 

 leaf early in August, the alba and nigra a fortnight to 

 a month later. We may add to these trees the ordinary 

 Cape mulberry, originally a Chinese sort, for the later 

 stages of the worm ; and the Indian mulberry for all stages, 

 so far as experience has yet gone. The English mulberry 

 seems well adapted for food as the insect matures, 

 but it has not yet been sufficiently tested. Beyond 

 this, experience tends to prove that it is not necessary 

 or profitable to go. The other varieties here are rather 

 objects of curiosity than usefulness. 



Soil for Mulberry Trees. Good orchard land is 

 necessary, with sufficient depth of soil, and drainage, such 

 as orchard trees require. Distances apart may be 10 x 10 



