24 THE MULBERRY TREE. 



given to the worms. The labor of doing this was 

 about equal to that of gathering the leaves. This 

 suggested the propriety of trimming up the young 

 plant from the beginning, so that no leaves should 

 grow near the ground. 



"I omitted to mention, that the potatoes which may 

 be grown the first year, between rows of mulberry 

 seedlings, will, as I think, pay for setting out and cul- 

 tivating the plants that year. When the mulberry 

 trees have grown to a considerable size, and the roots 

 have filled the ground, it may perhaps be advisable to 

 discontinue planting potatoes between the rows, as 

 the roots of the trees would be impaired by ploughing 

 the land." 



GRAFTING. 



There are various methods of grafting which are 

 as applicable to the Mulberry as any other tree. The 

 thing essential in the various methods of grafting is 

 to ad apt the bark of the scion to the bark of the stock, 

 and it is considered advisable to place the scion on the 

 northerly side of the stock, as it is less liable to with- 

 er and die by the influence of the sun. 



In Italy they are so prejudiced in favor of grafting 

 Mulberry trees, that they graft those intended for 

 hedges. This prejudice grows out of a mistaken 

 opinion that grafted trees yield a greater amount of 

 foliage than those from the seed. The facility with 

 which trees are obtained from the seed will always 

 render it the best way for obtaining them in this coun- 

 try, except in cases where it is desirable to propagate 

 particular species, or varieties. 



