Morus — Mulberry. 99 



MORUS— Mulberry. 



THE mulberries belong to the bread-fruit tree family, 

 Atrocarpc, which includes some of the most in- 

 teresting of nature's products. Though more 

 especially adapted to the tropics, some of the species 

 appear freely in the temperate zones, and are almost as 

 highly prized by civilized races as others are by the savages 

 who gather their daily food from the stems and boughs 

 within their reach. The tribe includes, along with the poi- 

 sonous upas, the famous banyan tree of India, the cele- 

 brated cow tree of South America, the fig tree, and many 

 others especially adapted to the wants of man and beast. 

 The mulberry appears in many countries, and some of the 

 forms are indigenous to eastern Asia, southern Europe, 

 the United States, and Canada. The several species are 

 curious and interesting, and nearly all of them are of 

 especial interest to the botanist and practical horticulturist. 

 They have been in cultivation from the earliest antiquity, 

 and are mentioned in the Old Testament Scriptures as 

 objects of interest and almost veneration. Many of them 

 serve a good purpose in furnishing food, and as ornamental 

 plants ; and such might be cultivated to advantage much 

 more generally than they now are. The hardy species 

 are easily grown and long-lived. They produce sweet and 

 juicy fruit, though this is not equally palatable to all 

 people. Mulberries were first introduced into England 

 in the year 1548, and afterwards became so popular that 

 " the mulberry gardens " were a prominent feature of 

 some of the best estates. These plantations were util- 



