SILK GROWER'S MANUAL. 189 



showing its merits and superiority over all the rest, by 

 enumerating a few facts. 



1st. Because it is the easiest tree to propagate, and, 

 as it grows so rapidly in California, it will be the cheap- 

 est. 



2nd. Because most of the varieties of the mulberry 

 are esteemed dessert fruits when perfectly mature. 



3rd. Because the syrup made from its fruit is very 

 useful in mitigating inflammation of the throat. 



4th. Because, also, when the fermented juice of its 

 fruit is mixed with apples it affords a delicious beverage 

 called mulberry cider, of a deep red color like port wine. 

 The black mulberry is the best variety for that purpose. 



5th. The juice of its fermented fruits produces a 

 pleasant, vinous wine by itself alone. 



6th. It ought to be planted also for the value of its 

 wood, which is compact, elastic, and hard, and suscep- 

 tible of a fine polish ; it is therefore very useful to the 

 upholsterer, the carver, and the turner. 



7th. The great strength of the timber renders it very 

 valuable for the joiners generally. 



8th. The quality of its timber makes it also very valu- 

 able for the building of boats, its power of resisting the 

 action of the water being equal to oak. 



9th. One, also, of its merits is, that the tree is long- 

 lived : it is fully demonstrated that it lives several hun- 

 dred years. 



10th. Its bark can be converted into linen of the fine- 

 ness of silk. I have in hand some of that kind of silk, 



