Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-28
THE RUSSIAN MULBERRY.

Please inform me through TIE GAZETTE
as to the value of the Russian mulberry as
hedge plant for fencing purposes. ''G."
Fort Worth, Tex.
We don't think much of the Russian null
berry, so called, as a hedge plant. In our
opinion, after giving it a somewhat careful
study, cottonwood hedge would beat it by
large per cent, and we have no idea that
you are laundering after cottonwood
hedge. If you should want our opinion of
the Russian mulberry, further, it is at your
command. If you are party interested in
the sale of the Russian mulberry our opin-
ion could be of no advantage to you. The
Russian mulberry is something new, and
therefore something to speculate upon.
Some of the old people now living can well
recollect when the 'Multicaulis, still here
to a limited extent, was Athat same kind of
thing. 1t was to feed up the silkworms to
such degree of fairness that everybody
would be forced into arraying himself in
the finest silks and satins, on account of
their being cheaper than common cotton
goods. Well, you old folks know how it
turned out, and it is just about the same
way with the now boosted Russian null
berry. A great deal is said, and sometimes
prettily said, about "the last mani on this
old earth of ours. Nothing has ever been
said about ''the last tree" Of course if
there is to come last man there must also
come last tree. Now, if we were the last
man, and the Russian mulberry was the
last tree, we'd plant and propagate the
Russian mulberry, but we would be fear
fully sorry that the Multicaulis, Or the cot
tonwood or some other more worthless
tree, hadn't outlived it.
No doubt there are few good and honest
men endeavoring to sell the Russian null
berry on its supposed merits, but at the
same time there are hosts of sharpers try
ing to put it OF as an imposition upon the
people. Within the past Ave years we have
had very large numbers Of letters from
''disinterested" writers whom nobody
knew, setting forth all the rare virtues of
the Russian mulberry. We could easily
see ssthe cat in the meal tub" and so those
letters went the way Of all the earth, leav-
ing US as their last readers. On two oc-
,casions a moneyed price was offered US to
boom the Russian mulberry in our own
name, but just then blackberries were
coming in, and it would soon be roasting
ear time, so we were able to see our way
through for little season, as related to
sstable comforts and on that account,
presumably, the Russian mulberry didn't
get doomed through the paper with which
we are connected.
Now don't understand from this that we
are attempting to represent the Russian
mulberry as humbug. We don't look
upon it as anything of that sort. In our
Judgment it is everything it would appear
to be to any sensible man, who would take
tine pains to study it little. But the Rus
sian mulberry is not attempting to sell
itself to credulous people, and hence
when we say the Russian mulberry, as
such, is no humbug, we want it distinctly
understood that we are combining our re-
marks to the Russian mulberry, itself, and
not to any one who might be concerned in
the said Russian mulberry.
The Russian mulberry might make some
thing Of hedge-the people who have it
for sale say it is sublime as hedge plant.
II, however, you must have q hedge, and
can't get bois dare, or blackberry, or will
low, or cottonwood to make it out of, we'd
suggest still another hedge plant before ad-
vising you to settle down ON Russian null
berry Make your hedge of poke stalks.
. .