REARING SILKWORMS. 67 



that point, the sap, or life, becomes dry, and the 

 cutting will surely die. It is better to propagate 

 mulberry trees by cuttings, than from seed, as ' 

 they come into use much sooner. One pound of 

 seed will give out five thousand trees, but it will 

 be two or three years before the leaves should be 

 picked for feeding. 



Last of all trees named for silk-production, 

 and yet best of all, is the "CATTANEO" mulberry, 

 which is a native of Italy. This tree has been 

 acknowledged by scientists interested in silk- 

 culture to be the best, because it contains the 

 most nutriment, and is best adapted to develop 

 the silk-glands of the worm. Also, it is said to 

 grow very much more rapidly; yet it requires no 

 better soil, nor any more care, than other trees. 

 It is largely used in most of the European, as 

 well as in the Asiatic, silk-growing countries. 

 Many thousands of these trees were imported 

 into California when the silk business attracted 

 so much attention in this state. It is said that 

 a Cattaneo mulberry tree eight years old will 

 yield as many leaves as one of the common 

 species at forty years of age. It is also known 

 that this tree does not require to be grafted, and 

 therefore the leaves may be taken from it the 

 first year after planting. 



There are three ways of planting the mulberry 

 tree. 



