114 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. [March, 



good many trees of this kind, yet they have all been subject 

 to a decay or sort of gangrene in the bark, which, unless a 

 permanent remedy can be discovered, will effectually discour- 

 age their cultivation. 



It does not comport with my particular objects to treat at 

 large of the various kinds of mulberry known ; but only of 

 those grown among ourselves, and upon whose culture and use 

 for the feeding of worms experiments have been made. 



7. The Canton Mulberry is that which I shall next speak 

 of. This is an admirable plant. The history of the introduc- 

 tion of this tree into the country I am enabled to give in the 

 most authentic form. D. Stebbins, of Northampton, the intel- 

 ligent and active secretary of the Hampshire, Hampden, and 

 Franklin Agricultural Society, and ready to lend his service to 

 any and every good work, desired some of the American mis- 

 sionaries to China, to procure some seed of the best tree culti- 

 vated in that empire for the feeding of worms. They trans- 

 mitted parcels of this seed at two or three different times, from 

 which this tree has been grown. In another case, John P. 

 Gushing, of Watertown, a long time resident in Canton, 

 ordered a shipment to be made to him from Canton of two 

 thousand of the best tree for feeding worms, known in that 

 country. Of this importation, five hundred only survived the 

 voyage. These have been carefully nourished ; and with a 

 liberality and public spirit, which has distinguished all Mr. 

 Cushing's efforts to advance the cause of an improved agricul- 

 ture, he has distributed these plants among his friends and 

 others, and the tree has become extensively diffused. This 

 tree produces a large, heavy, and beautiful leaf I measured 

 one among many equally large upon the same tree, which was 

 thirteen inches in length by twelve and a half in width. 

 Perhaps, in general, they are not so large as the Perottet mul- 

 berry, but they are in this respect little inferior ; and, in pro- 

 portion to their size, they are considerably heavier. An acre of 

 the Canton mulberry would undoubtedly produce a greater 

 weight of foliage than of the Perottet. They are a tender 



