MULBERRY. 311 



siderably for the first few years after planting. While it can 

 be grown in tree form, it is much better adapted to being grown 

 in this section in the form of a windbreak. It bears pruning 

 well, and makes a very pretty hedge, but is not adapted to turn- 

 ing cattle, as it is unarmed. The fruit is insipid and generally 

 small, but in almost every large lot of seedlings a few speci- 

 mens will be found producing fruit of good size and fair 

 quality. While the fruit is not marketable, it is often used 

 domestically, and also furnishes a large amount of food for 

 birds just when strawberries and raspberries are ripening, and 

 is preferred by them to the more acid berries, hence affords 

 some protection to these more important crops. Objections 

 to its use in ornamental planting are its susceptibility to injury 

 by late spring frosts, which blacken the new growth, and the 

 early falling of the leaves in autumn. While its leaves are well 

 adapted to feeding the silk worm, and have been successfully 

 used for this purpose in this section in a small way, yet the 

 industry has not become profitable. 



Varieties. A variety known as Teas Weeping Mulberry has 

 been partially tried at the Minnesota Experiment Station, and 

 gives promise of proving sufficiently hardy for somewhat pro- 

 tected places. This variety is vigorous, naturally sprawls on 

 the ground, and when worked on straight stems, its very 

 pendulous branches make it a very conspicuous object. Foli- 

 age excellent. 



ROSACEAE. ROSE FAMILY. 



A large family of trees, shrubs and herbs, including many of 

 our cultivated fruits and ornamental plants. 



Genus PYRUS. 



Leaves simple or pinnately compound, flowers white or 

 rose colored, in corymbs, cymes or clusters, perfect, regular; 

 stamens numerous; styles five (sometimes two or three); 

 carpels of the same number, two-seeded. Seeds in cells that 

 are made up of horny, parchment-like thin walls. Fruit a pome. 



