308 Foreign Notices: — Italij. 



and on the elevated part of ridges in fields, in rows with the common willow. 

 As it does not require grafting, the leaves may be taken off with impunity 

 the following year after it is planted ; and, for this reason, it is more advan- 

 tageous than the common mulberry for forming groves or hedges round farms, 

 because the common one is always grafted the second year after planting, and 

 cannot be deprived of its leaves for five years afterwards. 



2dly. Because it is easily propagated by truncheons (talea) from spring to 

 the end of July ; and these stocks may, without fear, be deprived of their 

 leaves the following year. Dr. Lomani, well informed in agricultural science, 

 and principal editor of our Agricultural Journal, says that, after the leaves 

 have been taken off to feed the silkworms, if the stripped shoots be planted, 

 although in a place exposed to the sun and without shelter, they will readily 

 vegetate, both above and below the soil. My brother Luigi, your former 

 correspondent, wrote to me last June : — "I have discovered a very rapid 

 method of propagating the mulberry of the Philippines. After taking off the 

 leaves to feed the silkworms, cut out the buds from the shoot and plant 

 them ; and as many plants will grow as you have planted buds." This 

 supports the theory of Petit Thouars ; which is, that the tissue of the vital 

 point of the foliaceous bud is capable of elongating itself, and forming a stem 

 above, and a root below. In this way shoots may be obtained of this mul- 

 berry, which are much more profitable than those proposed by Signer Bassi 

 of Lodi, with the Morus MorettiaW. 



3dly. Because it has an exceedingly large leaf, so that it produces, in 

 weight, a result almost double that of a leaf obtained from the common one ; 

 and, compared with that, it has been found more nutritious ; so that if 

 1000 lb. weight of the common one is required for every ounce of eggs, it 

 will be found that 800 lb. weight of the leaves of the mulberry of the Philip- 

 pines will be found sufficient ; and although the leaves are not so twisted 

 up (incartata) as those of the common mulberry, they can be collected, and, 

 like them, put in bags, and sent to a distance. 



4thly. Because the leaves come out fifteen or twenty days before those of 

 the common mulberry; and, therefore, the hatching of the eggs may be anti- 

 cipated, and they will be more than usually abundant, because they have been 

 produced in a cool temperature ; and should an unexpected hoar frost happen, 

 which destroys the first leaves, it is already known that the new mulberry 

 appears again covered with leaves in a much shorter time than the old ; and 

 as it has the advantage of continuing to grow to the middle of November, and 

 the common one ceases to do so towards the latter end of September, it may 

 be stripped of its leaves with impunity at every period, so that a second brood 

 of silkworms can be obtained in August and part of September j and the cele- 

 brated Dr. Lomani is also of this opinion. 



But the greatest advantage resulting from the worms feeding constantly on 

 the new mulberry is that they produce cocoons of so fine a grain that the 

 silk formed by three threads being put together comes under the name, at 

 the least, of 15 denari (there were some even at 14 denari); and this silk, 

 though extremely fine, is as strong and durable as that called 24 denariy pro- 

 duced from worms fed on the common mulberry. The stuff manufactured is, 

 for fineness of texture, brilliancy, and quality, superior to the best hitherto 

 known among us. 



Now I have told you so many facts in favour of the new mulberry, although 

 there are many of an opposite opinion, what do you say ? and you will natu- 

 rally ask, why ? Because, in the better classes here, very Httle attention is 

 paid to rural affairs, and they leave the subject entirely to their country 

 agents or factors, to do as they please ; and they have raised up a spirit of 

 party amongst them, either because it is a cultivation that was not known to 

 their fathers, or that they fear to have their delightful indolence disturbed by 

 the novelty. They make their masters believe what they please, and by one 

 opposition or another at last obtain their end. Indeed, there are some 

 factors who make their masters believe that the silkworms will actually not 

 eat the leaves of the nevv mulberry, and the poor fellows believe it. 



