The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-04-19
Ss7z
" 1874
Uses of the Mulberry Tree.


many different species Of the Morus
family. Some Of my neighbors are
asking if the mulberry tree is gcod
for anything else, if they do not uti'
lie the leaves, and as few have &C
cess to works upon forestry, l offer
YOU few notes covering this ground:
Of thirty varieties of forest trees
planted here in 1877, the Morus Null
ticaulls has made the largest amount
of wood by weight, exceeding even
the eucalyptus globulus OF the same
age, in the diameter of its lower stem.
Eucalyptus ascends in solid shaft
with no side branches. Morus forms
a low, spreading head, and sends
strong limbs IN every direction. Not
blade Of grass will grow within tit-
ty feet of my five-year-old eucalyptus,
but the morus seems to act rather as
kindly nurse than otherwise to
plants of lower stature and slower
growth The trimmings make exs
cellent fuel and when summer pruned,
cattle will devour every leaf. In
times OF scarcity tie European peas
ants always resort to the mulberry
plantations to supply food for the
cows and goats. and not unfrequent-
ly are compelled to cure the leaves
for winter use.
There is almost no end to the uses
of the group of plants known to bot
anists as Morads.
The fig of commerce the india rub
Der of continental India; BRONSON
eta, from which such vast quantities
of paper are manufactured in China
and Japan, the Banyan tree, and cnr
American Maclura or Usage Orange,
are among the most conspicuous. In
the tropics they are indispensable
for shade. One species of Maclura
gives the valuable dye stuff known as
fustick they all abound in useful
products, either medicines, fruits,
dyes or gums. They are equally re.
markable for their tenacity of life,
and the rapidity Of their growth
Blume planted a cutting OF ticus Mac
rocaipa before the door of his house
in Java, which in seven years covered
space OF sixty square feet with its
dense shade.
AS a cabinet wood, nothing could
be more beautiful in tint than the
mulberry or Usage orange. Both
are fine grained and susceptible OF
high polish.
The berries of all The American
and European mu!bt lies are an ex>
cellent food ior -ltry. l have
TAINTED eight trees Of the Persian
Mulberry in my oWA poultry yard.
This tree is probably the Morus Nj
gra Of European botanists which
grows in Persia and throughout the
south OF Russia, where it Is highly
priced for its pleasant, refreshing
fruits. 1t is very hardy, and there
are trees in the Levant known to be
many centuries old. Through the
kindness of Ex-Governor Furness, of
Nebraska, U. S. Land Commissioner,
| have lately received a bundle of cut
tings OF this variety. The nomen-
clalure Of the mulberry, as of most
other fruits, needs revising. l used
to think when living on the Hudson,
that Virgalien pears were unsur>
passed; was sorry not to find them
in California, but concluded that the
White Doyenne was nearly as good, !
and finally accepted the St. Michaels
as little better BY and by that
venerable pear sharp, Mr.. Wilder,
crossed the Rockies to give me les.
son-the delicious fruit was one un.
der its three names have this Per.
sian mulberry also under several dit
terent names, one being the fig null
berry. Mr.. Sanders, OF Fresno, a
careful observer describes fruit on
his trees tv inches long, acid, but
very rich al d palatable. | hope it
will prove t be Morus Atropurpurea,
native of Cochin China, where it is
highly prize / as dessert fruit. These
foreign blaC mulberrles must not be
COMPOUNDED with the Morus Nigra of
the Atlantic States, which produces
fair fruit for wild one. Grown up
boys and girls sometimes inquire here
Tor the eastern black mulberries."
testitying to a remembered good in
them. So remember the wild plum
tlavors, and the taste OF ''choke cher
ries." But l think with our present
range OF cultivated small fruit we
shall leave those of the MoYus to hi.
peds with feathers.
As shade tree for the street Mo-
rus Rubrum, the Eastern red Morus
Nigrum, Nj. Moretti, the rose leavad