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CHAPTER XVI. 



OF MULBERRIES. 



Different Sorts 'cultivated in England,.,, Propagating^ Plantings 

 and Pruning of them,,. .Of Restoring old and decayed Trees, 



T^HE Mulberry, Morus, is a native of Persia ; v/hence it was 

 introduced into the Southern parts of Europe, and is now 

 commonly cultivated in England, Germany, and other coun- 

 tries where the winters are not very severe. It is ranked in 

 the fourth order of Linnseus's twenty-first class, Monoecia 

 Tetrandria. 



We are informed, that mulberries were first introduced 

 into this country in 1596 ; but I have reason to believe, that 

 they were brought hither prior to that period, as many old 

 trees are to be seen standing at this day about antient monas« 

 teries and abbeys ; from which it is at least probable, that they 

 had been introduced before the dissolution of those houses. 



Four large mulberry-trees are still standing on the site of 

 an old kitchen garden, now part of the pleasure ground, at Si- 

 on-House, which, perhaps, may have stood there ever since 

 that house was a monastery. The late Duke of Northumber- 

 land has been heard to say, that these trees were above 300 

 years old. 



At the Priory near Stanmore, Middlesex (the seat of 

 the Marquis of Abercorn), there are also some antient mul- 

 berry-trees. The priory was formerly a religious house. 



In a very old garden at Chelsea, which belonged to the 

 late John Browning, Esq. (who was a very good botanist, and 

 had a large collection of trees and plants) there is one of the 

 largest mulberry-trees that I ever saw, and which appears to 

 be extremely old. 



Gerard, who published his History of Plants in 1597, 

 says, in that book, that mulberry-trees then grew in sundry 

 gardens in England. 



