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plant two and if thus the new earth be somewhat lower than the chap. ii.surface of the rest, it will the better receive the rain. Being planted,cut them all within three inches of the ground. Water them not inwinter but in extreme necefsity, and when the weather is warm, and thendo it in the morning. In this cold season, you will do well to cover theground with the leaves of trees, straw, or short litter, to keep themwarm; and every year you should give them three drefsings or half-diggings, viz. in April, June, and August; this, for the first yeat^still after rain. The second spring, after transplanting, purge themof all superfluous shoots and cions, reserving only the most towardly forthe future stem : This to be done yearly as long as they continue in thenursery ; and if, of the principal stem so left, the frost mortify any part,
Out it off, and continue tliis government till they are near six feet high ;
after which suffer them to spread into heads, by discreetly pruning andfashioning them: But if you plant where cattle may endanger them, thestem had need be taller, for they are extremely liquorish of the leaves.
4. When they are about five years growth, you may transplant them
round the tree, and about four feet from the bole. Let this trench be filled with freshmould, enriched with cow-dung; and as the large roots may be raised without incon-venience, let the compost be put under them so as to make the bed, over which the treestands, as rich as pofsible. At the same time, let the old wood be cut from the head of thetree, in ordpr that the young wood may have space to grow in. These operations beingjudiciously conducted, you will, in a few years, have an old tree converted into a youngone. Let it also be observed that, if you expect plenty of fruit, you must never permit theground to be cropped near the tree, for by the spade, the feeding fibres of the roots willbe cut off at the time when the fruit requires the utmost nourishment.
The Mulberry is remarkable for putting out its leaves late, so that when they appear,the gardener may take it for granted, that all danger from frosts is over: He may thenexpose his Greenhouse Plants. Cum germittare viderk Morum , injuriam Jtostea frigoris timerenolito. - plin.
Ovid , on account of the blood-red appearance of its fruit, has chosen the Mulberry-treefor the scene of his affecting story of Pyramus and Thisbe ; and indeed, no other tree couldhave given so much afsistance to the imagination of the poet. Horace advises us to finishour dinner with ripe Mulberries;
-— . .... — -Ille salubres
./Estates peraget, qui nigris prandia MorisFiniet, ante gravem quse legerit arbore solejn.