o 
M O R U S. 
keep tliem clean from weeds, cover them from the ex¬ 
treme heat of the fun, and continue to water them in dry 
weather. In autumn cover them again, when the firfl 
frofts come, and continue to protect them through the fil'd: 
winter. The following March tranfplant them into the 
nurfery, there to remain two or three years, and then to 
be removed where they are to continue; or, if not very 
ftrong, they had better remain in the feed-bed two years 
before they are planted out in'the nurfery, in rows at two 
feet and a half diftance, and one foot and a half afunder 
in the rows, there to continue till they are fufficiently 
ftrong to be planted out finally. The trees which are de- 
figned to feed filk-worms, fhould never be fuffered to 
grow- tall, but rather kept in a fort of hedge ; and, inftead 
of pulling off the leaves fingly, they fhould be fheared off 
together with their young branches, which is much fooner 
done, and is not fo injurious to the tree. 
The common, or black mulberry,'has generally male 
flowers or catkins on the fame tree with the fduit; but it 
often happens, that fome of the trees which are railed 
from feeds, have male flowers only, and produce no fruit; 
fo that thofe who plant thefe trees for their fruit, fhould 
never make choice of fuch as have been propagated by 
feeds, unlefs they have feen them produce fruit in the 
nurfery. It is alfo the fureft way to mark fuch trees as 
are fruitful in the nurfery, at the time when the fruit is 
upon them, becaufe thofe trees which are propagated by 
layers are fometimes of the male fort 5 nor fhould the 
lhoots which come out near the roots of old trees be ever 
laid dowm, for thefe rarely produce fruit until they have 
been planted many years, although the trees from which 
thefe were produced might be very fruitful. Some trees 
which produced only catkins for many years after they 
were planted, afterwards have become fruitful; the fame 
thing has been obferved in walnut-trees, and alfo in the 
lentifk and turpentine trees. 
The old mulberry-trees are not only more fruitful than 
the young, but their fruit is much larger and better fla¬ 
voured ; fo that, where there are any of thefe old trees, 
it is the beft way to propagate from them, and to make 
choice of thofe branches which are mod fruitful. The 
ufual method of propagating thefe trees, is by laying 
dowm their branches, which will take root in one year, 
and are then feparated from the old trees; but, as the 
moftfruitful branches are often fo far from the ground as 
not to be layed, unlefs by railing boxes or balkets of earth 
upon fupports for this purpofe, the better way is to pro¬ 
pagate them by cuttings, which, if rightly chofen and 
ikilfully managed, will take root very well; and in this 
method there will be no difficulty in having them from 
trees at a diftance, and from the moft fruitful branches. 
Thefe cuttings fhould be the fhoots of the former year, 
with one joint of the two-years wood to their bottom : 
the cuttings fhould not be fhortened, but planted their 
full length, leaving two or three buds above ground. 
The beft feafon for planting them is in March, after the 
danger of hard froft is over; they fhould be planted in 
light rich earth, prefling the ground pretty clofe about 
them ; and, if they are covered with glafles, it will for¬ 
ward their putting out roots ; but, where there is not 
fuch conveniency, the ground about them fhould be co¬ 
vered with mofs, to prevent its drying; and, where this 
is carefully done, the cuttings will require but little water, 
and v.’ill fucceed much better than much wet. If the 
cuttings fucceed well and makegood fhoots, they may be 
tranfplanted the following fpring into a nurfery, where 
they lhculd be regularly trained to Items, by fixing down 
flakes by each, to which the principal fhoots fhould be 
fattened; and moft of the lateral branches fhould be clofe- 
ly pruned off, leaving only two or three of the weakeft to 
detain the lap, for the augmentation of the Item ; for, 
when they are quite diverted of their lide-flioots, the lap 
is mounted to the top, fo that the heads of the trees grow 
too fart for the Items, and become too weighty for their 
fupport. In about four years growth in the nurfery, they 
will be fit to tranfplant where they are to remain; for 
thefe trees are tranfplanted with greater fafety while 
young, than when they are of a larger fixe. 
This tree delights in rich light earth, and where there 
is a depth of foil, as in moft of the old kitchen-gardens 
about London ; in fome of which are trees of a very great 
age, which are healthy and fruitful, and their fruit is 
larger and better-flavoured than thofe of younger trees. 
In a very ftiff foil, or on (hallow ground, whether.of clay, 
chalk, or gravel, the trunk and branches are commonly 
covered with mofs, and the little fruit produced is fmall, 
ill-tafted, and ripens late. If this tree be planted in a 
fituation where it is defended from the ftrong fouth and 
north-weft winds, it will preferve the fruit from being 
blown off; but this fhelter, whether it be trees or build¬ 
ings, fhould be at fuch a diftance as not to keep off the 
fun ; for, where the fruit has not the benefit of his rays 
to diffipate the morning-dews early, it will turn mouldy 
and rot upon the trees. There is never any occafion for 
pruning thefe trees, further than to cut off any of the 
branches which may go acrofs others, fo as to rub and 
wound their bark, by their motion occafioned by the wind; 
for their fhoots fhould never be fhortened, becaufe the 
fruit is produced on the young wood. 
For propagating the mulberry by layers, a number of 
trees muff: be planted forftools two yards afunder. A few 
(tools will foon produce many layers, for they throw out 
plenty of young branches when the head is taken off' 
When the (tools have fhot forth young wood fit for laying, 
in the beginning of winter let the earth be excavated 
round each (tool, and let the preceding fummer fhoots be 
flit at a joint and laid therein, fixing them down with a 
peg, filling the interftices with fine mould, levelling the 
ground, and cutting the young twigs to one eye above 
the furface. In the autumn following the layers will all 
probably have taken good root, and have made confider- 
able fhoot in the Item, fo that they will be ready for the 
nurfery-ground, in which they are to be managed in the 
fame way as the feedlings. The fecond year after, the 
(tools will have a frefh crop of young wood for laying. 
Cuttings may be planted not only in March, but alfo 
in October. Thefe (hould be ftrong (hoots of the laft 
year’s wood ; and, if a tree does not make fuch (hoots, it 
mull be headed the year before for this purpofe. The 
(hoots fhould be a foot and a half long, and muft be planted 
a foot deep, in a fhady weli-fheltered place ; and in a moift 
foil, well worked and fine. Thefe trees may likewife be 
increaled by cuttings planted at the end of June, or the 
beginning of July, in pots plunged up to their rims in 
the ltove, where, if water and (hade be conftantly afforded 
them, they will ftrike root and become good plants. 
If an old mulberry-tree becomes a bad bearer, or calls 
the fruit before it is ripe; cut a trench two feet deep 
round the tree, and about four feet from the trunk ; fill it 
with frefh mould, enriched with cow-dung; and, as tha 
large roots may be railed without inconvenience, let the 
compofl he put under them, fo as to make the bed, over 
which the tree (lands, as rich as poflible. At the, fame 
time, let the old wood be cut from the head of the tree, 
that the young wood may have fpace to grow in. Thefe 
operations being judicioully conduced, you wili, in a few 
years, have an old tree converted into a young one. Ob- 
lerve alfo, that, if you expert plenty of fruit, the ground 
muft not be cropped near the tree, for the feeding-fibres 
of the roots wili be cut off by the lpade when the fruit 
requires the greateft nourifhment. The mulberry is re¬ 
markable for putting out its leaves late; fo that, when 
they appear, the gardener may take it lor granted that all 
danger from froft is over. This is a remark of Pliny’s : 
Cum germiruire videris morum, injuriam pojtea frigor is ti~ 
mere nulitu. 
The other fpecies muft be confidered chiefly as ftove- 
plants. 
'MO'RUS NORVEG'ICA. SeeRuisus cham^mcecs, 
MQRZEGOR'SKOi, a town of Ruffia,.in the govern- 
1 mens 
