THE MULBERRY TREE. 23 



" I would therefore advise, that for the two or three 

 first years, the trees should be trimmed, and the leaves 

 gathered, only by persons who know how to trim the 

 trees properly. 



" When the trees are four or five years old, at which 

 time, they will be six or eight feet high, I propose to 

 gather leaves for the worms, by cutting off twigs, or 

 small branches, which may be done by a person 

 standing on the ground, still observing to trim the 

 trees in such a manner as will best promote their 

 growth. At Mansfield, in this State, the leaves have 

 usually been stripped with the hand from the branches, 

 and the person who gathers them, is obliged to climb 

 trees, which are thirty or forty feet high. I propose 

 to save this labor in a great measure, by trimming 

 and heading down the trees from year to year, so that 

 they shall not grow more than six or eight feet high, 

 and in such a manner that the leaves may always be 

 gathered by a person standing on the ground. In this 

 manner, mulberry leaves are gathered in Persia and 

 in the vicinity of Constantinople. 



" The leaves, or rather branches, are to be conveyed 

 to the silk house or cocoonery, in one horse wagons, 

 and you will now see the propriety of leaving the 

 rows sufficiently far apart for wagons to pass between 

 them. I propose, also, to gather the leaves, or 

 branches, in large baskets, of a proper shape, made' 

 for the purpose, and adapted to the wagons. I sup-* 

 pose that one man with a wagon, will carry these 

 baskets of leaves to the cocoonery as fast as a number 

 can fill them. 



" I found the last year, that leaves which grew near 

 the ground, were covered with sand or dirt, thrown 

 upon them during showers of rain ; and it was neces- 

 sary to clean them thoroughly, before they were 



