THE GARDENER’S VEGETABLE SYSTEM 
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Morus, (MULBERRY) or Mulberry Tree. 
Clafs and^?der. 
Monoecia Tetrandria, 
One Habitation, Four Males; 
Or Flowers, Male and Female, feparate on one or the 
fame Free, and the Male Flowers having four Sta- 
miua . 
THE Family of Morus furnifnes four fpecies of 
hardy, deciduous trees, of the bacciferous, or berry¬ 
bearing kind; one generally cultivated as a defirable 
fruit-tree, the others principally for variety and orna- 
ment, as fome alfo occafionally for their fiuit; aie of 
middling, or large growth, moftly with full branching, 
regular-fpreading heads; adorned, in fummer, with 
largifh, cordate, or hearted, and palmated, rough, and 
fmooth leaves; and fmall, greenifh, male and female 
flowers, apart, and diftinCt on the fame tiee; the 
males collefted into long, loofe amentums, and females 
in round heads, with fmall, four-parted, fuccment ca- 
lyxes, no petals ; four (hort {lamina in the males; in 
the females two ilyles; and each head of female ca- 
lyxes grows a largifti, oval, fucculent, tubercled, eat¬ 
able berry, ripe in autumn, continuing fmall feeds in 
each tubercle ; by which the trees are fometimes raifed, 
or principally by layers and cuttings of the young 
llioots. 
The hardy Species of MORUS are, 
I. Morus nigra, Elack-fruited, or Common Mul¬ 
berry Tree. 
A middling, or largilh, deciduous tree,, with a 
widely-branching head, growing twenty to thirty feet 
high—the leaves {moderately large, dark-green ) cor¬ 
date or hearted, roundiih, and rough ; and large, oval, 
black berries, ripe for eating in Auguft and Septem¬ 
ber; being the principal fort ripening in perfection 
and abundance in this country.—Native of Italy, near 
the fea. (Light, loamy, rich , or any tolerably good 
foil.) 
Variety. —Jagged-leaved Black Mulberry Tree. 
2 . Morus alia. White Mulberry. 
A middling, deciduous tree, growing twenty or 
thirty feet high—the leaves ( larger, light-green) ob¬ 
lique hearc-lhape, polilhed or fmooth; and white ber¬ 
ries ; not ripening in great perfection and abundance in 
this country.—Native of China. (Any light , tolerably 
good foil.) 
3. Morus rubra. Red Mulberry. 
A middling, deciduous tree, twenty feet high, or 
more—the leaves ( large, dark-green ) cordate, or 
hearted, villofe-hairy on the under fide ; long, cylin- 
dric amentums of flowers, and red berries.—Native 
of Virginia. ( Any lightijh, good foil.) 
4. tAo^xss papyrfera, Papyriferous, or Paper-barked 
Mulberry Tree of Japan. 
A moderate, deciduous tree, growing twenty-feet 
high—the leaves (large, light-green) palmated or hand- 
form ; and hifpid-fruit.—Native of Japan, where is 
made paper of its bark. ( Any lightijh , common foil.) 
Of the above four fpecies of Morus, the Black, or 
Common Mulberry, is the principal fort to cultivate as 
a fruit-tree, for its production of fruit, which is pro¬ 
duced the moll abundant, largeft, and ripens in the 
greateft perfection, very juicy, and refrelhing to eat, 
as defert fruit, and to ufe occafionally for pies and 
tarts; or fome of the white and red kinds may alfo 
be introduced in the fruit-tree collection, for the va¬ 
riety of their fruit; though is neither produced fo plen¬ 
tiful, nor in equal goodnefs, as the Black: but theie 
two forts, and the Morus papyrifera, are cultivated 
principally for obfervation and curiofity, in pleafurable 
plantations, and in which the Common Black Mulberry 
may alfo affemble; and all of which will effeCt a de- 
firable variety and confpicuous appearance in their 
growth, foliage,jand fruiting; however, where requir¬ 
ed to have Mulberry trees, principally for the fake of 
the fruit, chufe chiefly the Black-berried fort, for the 
general fupply; and of which a few trees may be fuffi- 
cient for the fervice of a private family, efpecially as, 
after being advanced to fome confiderable growth, they 
bear great quantities of berries; I have known a Angle 
tree produce a fufficiency for the fupply of a large fa¬ 
mily, every day, during the feafon of their maturity. 
The leaves of the Mulberry tree are of Angular 
value, as the principal food for Alk-worms; that in 
the counties where thefe curious infeCts are bred in 
great quantities for their production of Aik, which 
they fpin from their bowels, large plantations of the 
trees are cultivated for the leaves, with which to fup¬ 
ply them daily, in their feeding feafon. 
The different forts of Mulberry trees are cultivated 
in the nurferies for public fupply, and where they may 
be had in collection for planting, or any particular fpe¬ 
cies, efpecially the Common Black Mulberry, to plant 
as a fruit-tree; and which may be obtained of fome 
advanced growth, furnilhed with a tolerable head of 
branches, and that will foon commence bearers, or 
fometimes, trees that are arrived to a bearing ftate, 
which 
