leaves, to feed filk-worms *; though it is faid that the Perfians generally use the Common Black Mulberry for that purpose; and this latter is the only fort raised for the sake of its fruit, which is very wholesome.

3. The Red or Virginian Mulberry-tree, which grows to a confiderable height, and bears reddith berries.

The two laft are cultivated, in this country, only for the fake of variety.

Mulberries are raised from feed, or propagated from cuttings and layers.

Those raised from feed have frequently male flowers, and produce no fruit; thefe, therefore, fhould never be made choice of for fruit-bearing trees, unless they have been seen to bear in the nursery.

The best bearing branches of old trees are to be chofen for cuttings and layers; for fome branches of these trees produce only katkins, and trees raised from them will never produce fruit. If they are to be raised from layers, they will generally take root fufficiently the first year to bear separating from the parent tree, and fhould then be planted in a nursery, and trained up with fingle stems. In four years they will be fit to plant out where they are to remain. They should be planted at a proper distance to admit the fun and air, as the fruit, when the trees are too clofe, is very apt to turn mouldy; they fhould also be fheltered from the Eaft, North, and West winds.

But the best way of raifing Mulberries is from cuttings of the former year's fhoots, having one joint of the two years'

This tree poffeffes the peculiar property of breeding no vermin, either while growing or when cut down; neither does it harbour any caterpillar, the filk-worm excepted. Evelyn's Sylva, by Hunter, Vol. II. p. 40.

wood. Plant them out in Autumn, if fine weather, or in the month of March, in rows nine inches apart, and at the diftance of two inches in the rows, leaving only two or three buds above ground: mulch the ground with leaves or dung well rotted, to keep it moist, and the plants will require little watering. If they fucceed well, they may, next season, be transplanted into a nursery, and treated as directed for layers. These young trees, while they remain in the nursery, fhould be transplanted every three or four years.

I would recommend planting of Mulberries in grafs orchards and pleasure grounds, because the finest of the fruit, when ripe, frequently drops, which, if it fall on dug or ploughed ground, will be foiled and rendered unfit for ufe, as the earth will adhere fo to the fruit as to render the cleaning of it impracticable; but if planted on lawns, or in grafs orchards, the fruit can be picked up without receiving any injury. Another reason for planting these trees on lawns or in orchards is, that, when full grown, they are too large for a kitchen garden. The foil in which they thrive beft is a rich, light, and deep earth.

As the fruit is produced on the young wood, you should cut out only fuch branches as crofs others, and fuch as are decayed, or broken by any accident; at the fame time apply the Compofition. If, however, the heads fhould become too full of wood, it will be necessary to thin them, as the fruit is larger and better flavoured where the heads are kept thin of wood.

I have found many of these trees in a very decayed state, with the trunks quite hollow; and have tried the efficacy of the Compofition on feveral of them, cutting out all the dead wood and cankery parts of fome, and heading down others

that

that were stunted and fickly. After thefe operations they put forth vigorous branches, and bore excellent crops of fruit, more than double the fize of that which they produced in their former state.

I would advise those, who have any old decayed Mulberrytrees, to treat them in the fame manner; but those which are very much decayed should be headed down; this will throw them into a healthy bearing state, and in two or three they will produce plenty of fine fruit.

years

In the lawn in front of the house of John Grove, esq. at Little Chelsea, there are four old Mulberry trees, which a few years ago were fo very much decayed, and fo full of wounds and dead wood, that they produced very little fruit, and that of a small size. I had all the decayed and rotten wood carefully cut out, and the branches trimmed, and then the Compofition applied. In the first season they fent forth fine shoots, and in the second produced plenty of fruit, of a better flavour, and double the size of that which they formerly bore.

As old Mulberry-trees produce, not only a greater quantity of fruit, but also much larger and of a finer flavour, than young ones, it is well worth while to take fome pains to repair the injuries which they may have sustained by accidents or age.

I am forry to say, that this pleasant and valuable fruit is but little cultivated in this country * very

* Gerard, in his description of the Mulberry-tree, has the following curious paragraph: "Hexander in Atheneus affirmeth, that the Mulberry-trees in his time did not bring forth fruit in twenty years together; and that fo great a plague of the gout reigned and raged fo generally, as not only men, but boys, wenches, eunuchs, and women, were troubled with that disease."

Z 2

CHAPTER XVII.

OF THE SERVICE.

The Cultivated Service, the Wild Service, and the Maple-leaved Service; with their Culture.

THERE

HERE are three forts of the Service-tree cultivated in England, viz. the Cultivated Service, the Wild Service, or Mountain-Ath, and the Maple-leaved Service. The first is a native of the warmer climes of Europe; and the other two grow wild in different parts of England.

The Service belongs to the twelfth Clafs of Linnæus's System, entitled Icofandria Trigynia.

Of the Cultivated Service.

This tree is well worth cultivating, both for its fruit and for ornament. It is beautiful in the month of June when in

flower,

flower, and the fruit in Autumn has a fine appearance, and grows to a large fize if the trees be kept thin, and not overloaded with wood. They may be planted in orchards among other fruit-trees; for, as they flower much later than Apples and Pears, there will be no danger of the farina intermixing with theirs. They may alfo have a place in plantations in the pleasure ground, or fingly on the lawn, or in rows by the fides of gravel-walks: in this cafe, they fhould be trained with straight stems eight or ten feet high, and all the straggling branches should be cut in, to affist them in forming handsome round heads. These trees may be intermixed with thorns, and will have a very good effect.

We have only two forts cultivated in the garden; viz. the Apple-shaped, and the Pear-shaped Service-tree.

These trees are propagated from feed, layers, and cuttings. By raising them from feed you may perhaps obtain several varieties; but the best method of preferving the forts, when you have fine varieties, is by grafting or budding.

Train the stem, if for standards, fix or eight feet high; but if for dwarfs, about three feet high; which latter may be planted in fhrubberies. The fruit, when ripe, may be gathered and put in the fruit-room; letting it remain till nearly in a state of decay: it will make a variety when ferved up to table among the Autumn fruits.

The wood of this tree is very useful for making pictureframes, toys, &c.

When the trees are pruned, and where there are any decayed parts, the Compofition fhould be applied.

of