SILK GROWER'S MANUAL. 181 



cannot, as they vary very much, and from twenty you 

 can hardly find two that look alike. 



As to the old way of making cuttings and planting 

 them, every one knows ; but in this part of the culture, 

 as in all the rest, we have to work according to the 

 locality we are in and the climate we are under. The 

 old way of making cuttings, with one-third sticking out 

 above the ground, I consider very, bad under our dry 

 atmosphere, to which tops are exposed. The action of 

 that dry atmosphere and of our burning sun dries them 

 and kills a great many, as the cutting is simply a piece 

 of wood with no roots to supply it with moisture. 



For the benefit of all, I will here note the result of my 

 observations on that subject. Have your cuttings about 

 six or eight inches long, the tops cut near one eye or 

 bud ; plant deep enough to have the top covered about 

 half an inch. This is sufficient to prevent the action of 

 the sun, etc., and in this way you will have them all 

 grow, if planted in a proper soil ; that soil I have de- 

 scribed before. You must not forget that for the cut- 

 tings also the soil must be well prepared. 



Now, at the beginning of the silk culture, what do 

 we need? Plenty of mulberry trees. My new and 

 simple way of planting cuttings (I may say, according 

 to our climate) will greatly help to secure that result ; 

 and I hope that it will give a great impulse to the mul- 

 berry culture, as we can propagate it fast without any 

 trouble. 



Another advantage of propagating the mulberry by 

 cuttings is, that it is a stronger grower, and, conse- 



