28 THE MULBERRY TREE. 



leaves of trees are their lungs, and contribute, by ob- 

 sorption of moisture and the principle of vegetation 

 from the atmosphere, to their growth ; but the health 

 of a Mulberry tree is probably promoted as much by 

 depriving it of its leaves, in a reasonable manner and 

 at the proper season, as that of a sheep by being shorn 

 of its wool. 



It is recommended by some culturists to let the 

 trees rest one year after the first picking, in order to 

 recover from the loss of its leaves. 



Various methods of picking leaves and transport- 

 ing them to the cocoonery have been practised ; but 

 as experience will soon discover the best method to 

 the practical culturist, it is supposed to be unneces- 

 sary to give any directions in relation to it. It may. 

 however, be proper to state that the leaves ought to 

 be stripped upwards, as downwards would injure the 

 buds, 



HEDGES. 



A very good way of cultivating the Mulberry is in 

 hedges, and it is probable it will ultimately be found 

 to be the best method. It is cultivated in this man- 

 ner in the form offence or field hedges. On the bor- 

 ders of fields, Mulberry hedges are cultivated for the 

 double purpose of fence and foliage, and the interior 

 of fields is often covered with hedges, at suitable dis- 

 tances from each other to admit the passage of a hand 

 or horse cart for the purpose of transporting the 

 leaves to the cocoonery. The method of propagating 

 hedges in both cases, is much the same, and is done 

 either by transplanting plants from the nursery or 

 sowing the seed when it is intended to make a hedge. 



To make a hedge by transplanting from the nurse- 



