MULBERRY- 



DWARF 



TROUBLES IN JAPAN. 



169 



growth are comparatively free from it. Such varieties as Taka- 

 suke, Tsuruta, Hosoye, and Ichihei belong to the first category, 

 Takasuke taking the lead, while Jumonji and Roso belong to the 

 second. Moreover, the capacity for resistance towards the 

 disease is subject to variation within the same variety, according 

 to the treatment under which a plant has been brought up : 

 plants that have deen induced to excessive growth with 

 abundant soluble manures being more liable to attack, while 

 those that have grown on lean soil among mountains or have not 

 been manured are free from it. The quality of the soil also has 

 a part in it, the disease appearing more commonly in those soils 

 which are specially adapted* for the growth of the mulberry. 

 There is hardly an exception to this almost universal rule. 



Before proceeding to the details of the investigation, a few 

 words must be devoted to the manner in which the mulberry 

 crop is gathered. In former times the plants were entirely left 

 to their natural growth ; but towards the end of the sixties the 

 so-called cutting method was started and has now generally 

 come in vogue. This consists in cutting the stem or 

 shoots near the level of the ground in about the third 

 year of the life of the plant, and letting new shoots come out 

 from the stump. The season for cutting is usually from the ear- 

 lier or later part of May to the earlier part of June, that is to say, 

 at the time of the fullest development of the leaves. By August 

 or September the new shoots reach the height of five or six feet, 

 and these are again cut down in May of the next year. This 

 way of treatment secures a large crop and lessens the injury 

 from insects and fungi. Portability is also an advantage, though 

 secondary. 



There are several ways of cutting, but they may be reduced 

 to three, which may be designated "low cutting," "medium 

 cutting," and " high cutting." In the first, the stems are cut 

 down immediately above the level of the ground, and in some 

 cases the stumps are even covered with earth ; in the second, 

 the stumps are left about one foot high, while in the third, they 

 are five to six feet. The relative advantage of these different 

 ways of cutting depends upon local conditions, but it is a note- 

 worthy fact that cases of the disease are especially numerous in 

 plants subjected to low and medium cutting, while those subject- 

 ed to high cutting are rarely attacked. Moreover, in those 



