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The difference which Linneus sets down between the Black Mulberry 
and the White is, that in the former the leaves are subquinquelobate, bluntish, 
and rugged, in the latter undivided and shining; the fructification of the 
former dioecous, of the latter monoecous. These distinctions however are not 
exact. The Black Mulberry is a larger stronger tree; and the fruit is a dark 
blackish red and more acid. 
Mr. Millers account is, that the Black Mulberry has generally male 
flowers or catkins on the same tree with the fruit but it often happens that 
some of the trees which are raised from seeds have mostly male flowers and 
produce no fruit; and that he has observed some trees which produced only 
catkins for many years after they were planted, afterwards have become 
fruitful. This latter observation agrees with a general remark that I have 
made on monoecous trees, that whilst they are young they bear male flowers 
chiefly and very little fruit. Mulberry-trees of a certain age are not only 
more fruitful than young ones, but their fruit is much larger and better 
flavoured. 
This tree grows naturally in Persia, whence it was first brought to the 
southern parts of Europe. It is now become common in every part of our 
continent, where the winters are not very severe. In the northern parts of 
Sweden it will not live in the open air; and in several parts of Germany it 
is planted against walls, and treated in the same way as Peaches and other 
tender fruits are here. 
It was cultivated here in 1 5q6, by Gerarde. In some of the old kitchen 
gardens near London there are trees of a very great age, which are very 
healthy and fruitful, and their fruit is larger and better flavoured than those 
of younger trees. Bradley says, that most of these were planted in the time 
of King James I., when there was a project of setting up a silk manufacture 
in England. 
contentment, having seen in few years past, that our brother the French king hath, since his coming 
to the crown, both began and brought to perfection, the making of silks in his country, where he 
hath won to himself honour, and to his subjects a marvellous increase of wealth, would account it 
no little happiness to us, if the same work, which we began among our people, with no less zeal to 
their good, than any prince can have to theirs, might in our time produce the fruits which there it 
hath done. 
“ Wherefore we nothing doubt but ours will be found as tractable, and apt to further their 
own good, now the way is shewn them by us their sovereign, as those of France have been to con- 
form themselves to the direction of their king. 
“ Given under our signet, at our palace of Westminster, the 16th of November, in the sixth year 
of our reign of England, France and Ireland, and of Scotland the two and fortieth/' 
