MOB 



MOS 



AT. Tata'rica (Tartarian). 20. June. Tartary. 

 1/84. 



Mulberry (M. nigra*) Culture. 



Propagation : By Cuttings. In for- 

 mer days this operation was much cir- 

 cumscribed, heing limited to the cut- 

 tings of the young shoots, as in currants. 

 Truncheons of considerable size may, 

 and, indeed, ought to be used. These 

 strike with facility by ordinary means, 

 especially in the deciduous state; and 

 put in the soil in the autumn, leaving 

 only a bud or two exposed. 



If Truncheons of some size are used, 

 let them be taken from the tree in the 

 beginning of February ; and being in- 

 serted a foot deep, in a situation where 

 neither direct sunshine nor wind can 

 freely penetrate, envelope their stems 

 above the ground-level with moss, all 

 but the upper pair of buds, in order to 

 prevent evaporation. 



By Layers. The shoots of the pre- 

 vious year are generally selected for 

 this purpose ; and may be either slit, 

 or ringed, although they will root with- 

 out. This being performed in Novem- 

 ber, or in February, the young plants will 

 be ready to be removed from the parent 

 plant in twelvemonths, when they may 

 be placed in the nursery for two years, 

 by which time they will be fit for 

 their permanent situations : care being 

 taken to train them carefully to stems, 

 as ordinary standard fruit-trees. 



By Grafting. Ordinary grafting, as 

 in the apple, is not a very safe mode ; 

 but inarching, or grafting by approach, 

 is quite eligible. This is performed 

 exactly as in other trees, and will pro- 

 duce strong plants in a short time. 



By Seeds. This practice is seldom 

 resorted to, but may prove interesting 

 to some. The seed being washed from 

 the pulp as soon as ripe, and dried, 

 may be preserved through the winter 

 in dry sand, and sowed in the succeed- 

 ing February. A slight bottom-heat 

 will facilitate the progress of the seed- 

 lings, but they may be safely reared 

 without, by aifording a regular but not 

 excessive supply of moisture, with a 

 partial deprivation of light for awhile. 

 They will need the ordinary routine of 

 transplanting, &c., afterwards. 



Culture during the grouting period. 



In the standard state little or nothing 

 can be done; but those trained on walls 

 or fences must have some assistance. 

 It must be kept in view, that the mul- 

 berry produces fruit both on short- 

 jointed young wood and on spurs ; and 

 that fruit must not be looked for from 

 luxuriant shoots. The summer's dress- 

 ing must consist in thinning-out and 

 stopping the grosser shoots in crowded 

 situations, observing a regularity in 

 their distances for the admission of 

 sunlight. We would advise much stop- 

 ping in preference to much disbudding, 

 as such parts may form a nucleus for 

 future spurs ; and if they turn out 

 barren, it will be easy to remove them 

 totally in the succeeding year. The 

 mulberry, when trained, will extend a 

 great way ; and regular training, as the 

 shoots extend, must be practised. 



Culture during the rest period. Some 

 pruning is occasionally of benefit, even 

 to standard trees, but it can be merely 

 thinning-out cross- shoots on those 

 parts of the tree which are too crowded. 

 The shady side of the tree, too, may 

 be kept thinner than the sunny side ; 

 and watery spray springing from the 

 branches in the interior may be re- 

 moved. Those trained, must have 

 superfluous shoots and barren snags 

 or spurs removed, but no shortening 

 back is necessary. 



Soil. Any ordinary garden or field 

 soil will do for them, if not too clayey ; 

 for they rather prefer an upland or 

 mellow soil, which should be of a gene- 

 rous character, but riot enriched with 

 manures until they get rather old and 

 cease producing luxuriant wood, when 

 a rich mellow compost, as top-dressing 

 occasionally, will much benefit them. 



Forcing. The mulberry bears forc- 

 ing excellently, and Avill ripen its fruit 

 early in June. It will bear a very high 

 temperature. It may also be grown of 

 a dwarf size in pots, and be thus forced. 

 MOSCHA'EIA. (From moschos, musk; 

 a musk -smelling plant. Nat. ord., 

 Composites [Asteracene]. Linn., 15) - 

 Synyenesia l-&qualis.} 



Hardy annual. Seeds, in a slight hotbed, in 

 April ; seedlings harden off and transplant in 

 open borders in May. 



M, pinnati'fida (leaflet-cut-teaverf). . July. 

 Chili. 1823. 



