MISCELLANEOUS HARDY FRUITS. 



267 



Young plants in the nursery should be trained 

 to a straight stem, and transplanted every 

 second or third year; when their stems are 3 or 

 4 inches in circumference they may be planted 

 early in spring where they are to remain. In 

 planting, a large hole should be made, and the 

 roots must be extended at full length; after- 

 wards the hole should be filled up with mode- 

 rately rich light loamy soil. 



The Mulberry is generally trained as a stan- 



dard, and planted in the orchard, or on lawns, 

 in order that the fruit may not be damaged by 

 its fall from the tree, but it is always better to 

 keep the ground beneath dug. The tree will 

 also succeed, spur-pruned, as an espalier, and in 

 cold localities it may be trained against a wall 

 with a south aspect, on which, however, it 

 occupies a much greater space than can well be 

 spared in such situations. 



As a standard the tree requires but little 



Fig. 1050.— Mulberry Tree, Chesterfield House, Edge Lane, Liverpool. 



pruning. The leading upright shoot should be 

 cut at the proper height, and three shoots 

 originated for principal limbs. These shoots 

 ought to be subdivided into two each. An 

 equality of growth should be maintained among 

 these, so as to form a well-balanced head. On 

 walls the fore-right shoots must be pinched in 

 summer to six buds, and if they push again 

 they should be cut back to within four buds 

 from the base. 



Beyond pruning, as above directed, the tree 

 requires but little culture, it being merely 

 necessary to dig over the ground about the 

 roots in autumn and spring, and to keep it free 

 from weeds. The fruit ripens in succession in 

 August and September, and should be gathered 



when about to drop. If the tree is not growing 

 on a lawn, grass mowings should be spread out 

 in a layer, not so thick as to ferment, in order 

 to prevent injury to such fruit as may fall 

 before it can be gathered. It does not keep 

 good more than a day or two, and the sooner it 

 can be used after gathering the better. 



Besides the large black Mulberry, the only 

 other species worthy of mention on account of 

 its fruit is the red Mulberry (Morus rubra), a 

 native of North America, producing berries of 

 a dark-red colour, but greatly inferior in quality 

 to those of the common sort : the white Mulberry 

 (Morus alba), grown principally for its leaves, 

 which are eaten by silk-worms : and the Weeping 

 White Mulberry from Russia, an ornamental tree. 



