The Book of Pears and Plums; With Chapters on Cherries and Mulberries

Part 7

Chapter 72,675 wordsPublic domain

The mulberry is a very handsome tree well worthy of cultivation in a large garden, if only it receives the care and culture which it deserves. Its proper name derived from the Latin through the Anglo-Saxon is Murberry. Mulberry is certainly more euphonious. It is said to be a native of Persia, but it has been known in this country for three centuries and a half at least. It is stated that there are trees still living among us several centuries old. The black mulberry is the one commonly grown in England; the white does better in a warmer clime, and has been largely planted in France and other lands, where the leaves are required for silkworms. The white, however, can be grown in this country. The mulberry will thrive in any good soil, but the ground should not be very wet. It should be placed in a sheltered southern aspect, and is likely to do well in the south rather than the north of England. It is propagated by layers, cuttings and seeds. Trees with good straight stems should be had from the nurserymen, and a few shillings spent in buying a straight, strong tree may save years. Plant in late autumn without manure with the usual care (see planting pears); the roots should not be exposed to frost or cold winds. Brick and lime-rubbish below in a heavy wet soil should be given. In a lighter soil put decayed manure round the tree after planting. In spring fork the soil up lightly, as trees thrive better when the soil is stirred. If you plant early in November under favourable circumstances leave four branches only, and cut these hard back to an outer eye. If you plant late, don't prune until the following winter. The first branches if cut back to three or four inches will probably throw out strong shoots. In August choose four of the best placed and strongest of these, cutting out the rest that those left may grow and the wood be ripened. The tree bears on short-jointed young wood, and on spurs, not on gross shoots. Keep the tree open, especially the middle, removing weak, watery spray, and train the shoots upwards. It will be a pleasure to go under the tree in time and enjoy its shade. The sun and air must have free access if the fruit is to ripen. Sometimes the berries fall prematurely. Drought or want of food may be the cause. Liquid manure in summer as the fruit comes on, and the artificial manures recommended for all fruit trees (see pears) will be helpful. In the winter-pruning, cut out all cross boughs, beginning from below, so as not to tear the bark. Check only branches that are rampant and running away from others. Keep the tree as uniformly round as you can. When the tree has (in four or five years) gained size and fruits well, grass may be grown around the tree, but it should be kept closely mown, especially when the fruit is ripening. All coarse grasses should be spudded out. If the fruit were thinned and the tree well fed, no doubt the berries would be finer. In any case feed well in July. The fruit is not very marketable, as it does not travel well, nor last long. But in cider counties it is sometimes mixed with apples, to make mulberry cider. The trees bear forcing in pots, and give good fruit in July. They will bear a high temperature. The fruit mixed with apples in a tart or pudding is described as "delicious." If it is gathered perfectly dry, it can be used to make a jelly in a similar manner to red currant jelly, and used for light puddings, etc. Mulberry syrup is said to be good for sore throat; mulberry water to be refreshing as a drink in cases of fever, mulberry vinegar to be efficacious for medicinal purposes just as raspberry vinegar, which it somewhat resembles. "Cassell's Dictionary of Cookery" explains these details, and also how to make mulberry preserve.

APPENDIX

THE PROPAGATION OF THE PEAR

It is not proposed to enter into elaborate details with reference to the propagation of the pear, for the general cultivator is far more concerned with and interested in its successful treatment when established than before, for he can now obtain prepared trees so readily and cheaply from nurserymen, who propagate them by the thousand, that it is not at all worth his while to attempt their propagation himself.

Pear trees are propagated either by budding or grafting. The first mentioned process is performed during July and August, and grafting is done in the month of March.

Budding consists in removing a bud from one tree and inserting it under the bark of the stock or branch of another tree. This work is done in the months of July and August, because the bark is during that time more easily raised, and a union more easily effected between the cambium (an inner growing layer) of both bud and stock. The buds inserted are taken from the current year's shoots, choosing shoots that are firm and short-jointed. After having removed a shoot, say nine or ten inches long, and cut the leaves to half their lengths, next proceed to cut out a bud. This is done by inserting a knife below the bud at a distance of about half an inch, and then drawing it upwards behind the bud, emerging again about half an inch above the bud. The cut must, of course, turn inwards--that is to say, towards the centre of the shoot. When removed, the bud therefore will be about an inch long, with the "eye" in the centre, and with a certain amount of wood attached to it behind. This should be removed, and the best way to do it is to insert the point of one's knife just underneath, so as slightly to raise the wood. Then, with the blade of the knife and one's thumb above, it can easily be removed with a slight jerk. Take great care that the root of the bud is not removed also. The stock to be budded should have a T-shaped incision made in the bark. With the ivory handle, which a proper budding knife will have, raise the bark on either side of the longitudinal slit, commencing at the corners just below where it joins the transverse incision. Take great care that the knife handle does not penetrate beneath the inner bark, but press it against the latter, slipping it along. When the bark is sufficiently raised, carefully insert the bud beneath, taking hold of it by the remaining portion of the leaf stalk. It must not be forced down, but introduced as gently as can be, otherwise there will be danger of injuring the vital cambium layer, where the union is effected. Afterwards tie the bud around with matting, to keep it in position and to prevent the entrance of air. Tie both above and below the "eye," leaving this of course free. An excellent indication as to whether or not the bud has taken is afforded by the petiole (leaf stalk). If this, a few weeks afterwards, falls completely away, one may be fairly certain that the bud has taken; if, on the other hand, it withers away, one may be almost equally sure that the operation has not been successful. The buds that have taken will commence to grow in the following spring, and then the stocks must be cut back to within a few inches of where the buds are inserted. Many nurserymen, if they find that the bud has not taken, graft the same stock in the following spring, instead of waiting to bud again in summer.

_Grafting_ consists in so attaching one shoot to another that they unite and grow together. There are many different methods of grafting, but that most usually employed in the grafting of pear trees is tongue or splice grafting. This is done in the month of March, with firm growth of the preceding year. First cut the stock in a sloping direction, and so that the cut may terminate just above a bud if possible. "Great care must be taken that the scions fit the stocks," is the recommendation of one of our large nursery growers of pear trees, and one that should be closely followed. Therefore choose a graft as nearly as possible of the same size as the stock. Having cut the graft to a suitable length, say nine or ten inches, cut the lower end (that is, the thicker one) exactly as the top of the stock was cut, so that when placed together they will properly fit upon each other. The essential point is, of course, to make sure that the inner bark of the one coincides with the inner bark of the other, as then the cambium layers will also coincide. The graft should be carefully and securely tied on to the stock with raffia, and then covered over with either clay or grafting wax, so as effectually to prevent the entrance of air. It is advisable to place moss over the clay, so that in dry weather this can be watered to prevent the clay from becoming dry. Unless there were a covering of some material capable of holding moisture, it would be impossible to keep the clay in anything like a moist condition. When it is seen that the graft commences to grow freely, the clay may be partly removed so as to allow of the ligatures being loosened. It is wise to tie the graft to a stake attached to the stock when the clay is finally removed, as in rough weather it might possibly be broken off.

_The above is reprinted from "The Book of the Apple" in the present series of handbooks._

Handbooks of Practical Gardening

Under the General Editorship of

HARRY ROBERTS

Crown 8vo. Illustrated. Cloth.

Price 2s. 6d. net per volume. Price $1.00 net.

_SOME OPINIONS OF THE PRESS._

_Scotsman_--"A series which has already elicited warm recognition."

_Western Daily Mercury_--"The invaluable series."

_Literary World_--"In every respect these Handbooks will delight the heart of the gardener. They are written by men of wide experience, and are well got up and well illustrated."

_Churchwoman_--"Delightfully got up, well and freely illustrated, and full of useful and practical information simply expressed."

_Bradford Observer_--"An elegant and compendious series, the great excellence of which is that they are written by men having special authority, and that they convey in succinct and practical form what the cultivator wants to know."

_Pilot_--"The series is remarkable for the amount of practical information and advice compressed within each volume."

_World_--"This very useful series should by no means be missed from the library of the sincere gardener."

_Liverpool Courier_--"A useful and attractive series."

Vol. I.--THE BOOK OF ASPARAGUS. With sections also on Celery, Salsify, Scorzonera, and Seakale; together with a chapter on their cooking and preparation for the table. By CHARLES ILOTT, F.R.H.S., Lecturer on Horticulture to the Cornwall County Council.

Vol. II.--THE BOOK OF THE GREENHOUSE. By J. C. TALLACK, F.R.H.S., Head Gardener at Shipley Hall.

Vol. III.--THE BOOK OF THE GRAPE. Together with a chapter on the History and Decorative Value of the Vines. By H. W. WARD, F.R.H.S., for twenty-five years Head Gardener at Longford Castle.

Vol. IV.--THE BOOK OF OLD-FASHIONED FLOWERS. By HARRY ROBERTS, author of "The Chronicle of a Cornish Garden."

Vol. V.--THE BOOK OF BULBS. By S. ARNOTT, of Carsethorne, near Dumfries.

Vol. VI.--THE BOOK OF THE APPLE. By H. H. THOMAS, Assistant Editor of "The Garden," late of the Royal Gardens, Windsor. Together with chapters by the Editor on the History and Cooking of the Apple and the Preparation of Cider.

Vol. VII.--THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES. By GEORGE WYTHES, V.M.H., Head Gardener at Syon House. Together with chapters on History and Cookery, by the Editor.

VOL. VIII.--THE BOOK OF ORCHIDS. By W. H. WHITE, F.R.H.S., Orchid Grower to Sir Trevor Lawrence, President of the Royal Horticultural Society.

VOL. IX.--THE BOOK OF THE STRAWBERRY. With chapters on the Raspberry, Blackberry, Loganberry, Japanese Wineberry and allied fruits. By EDWIN BECKETT, F.R.H.S., Head Gardener at Aldenham Park.

VOL. X.--THE BOOK OF CLIMBING PLANTS. By S. ARNOTT, F.R.H.S., author of "The Book of Bulbs."

VOL. XI.--THE BOOK OF PEARS AND PLUMS. By the Rev. E. BARTRUM, D.D.

VOL. XII.--THE BOOK OF HERBS. By LADY ROSALIND NORTHCOTE.

VOL. XIII.--THE BOOK OF THE WILD GARDEN. By S. W. FITZHERBERT.

VOL. XIV.--THE BOOK OF BEES. By CHARLES HARRISON.

BOOKS FOR COUNTRY HOUSES

BY "E. V. B."

Author of "Days and Hours in a Garden."

Seven Gardens and a Palace. Illustrated by F. L. B. GRIGGS and ARTHUR GORDON. _Third Edition._

Price 5s. net. Crown 8vo. Price $1.50.

BY HARRY ROBERTS

The Chronicle of a Cornish Garden.

With Seven ideal Illustrations by F. L. B. GRIGGS. Price 5s. net. Crown 8vo. Price $1.50 net.

BY FRANCIS BACON

Of Gardens: An Essay. With an Introduction by HELEN MILMAN and a Cover Design and Frontispiece by EDMUND H. NEW.

Price 2s. 6d. net. Demy 16mo. Price 50 cents net.

BY MRS LESLIE WILLIAMS

A Garden in the Suburbs. With Eight Illustrations.

Price 5s. net. Crown 8vo. Price $1.25 net.

BY MARY P. MILNE-HOME

Stray Leaves from a Border Garden.

With Eight Illustrations by F. L. B. GRIGGS.

Price 6s. net. Crown 8vo. Price $1.50 net.

BY HELEN MILMAN

In the Garden of Peace. With 24 Illustrations and Cover designed by EDMUND H. NEW. _Third Edition._ Price 5s. net. Crown 8vo. Price $1.50.

Outside the Garden. With 24 Illustrations and Cover by EDMUND H. NEW. Price 5s. net. Crown 8vo. Price $1.50.

My Roses and How I Grew Them. With a Cover designed by EDMUND H. NEW. _Third Edition._ Price 1s. 6d. net. Crown 8vo. Price 75 cents.

From the Heart of the Rose. With a Frontispiece in Photogravure. Price 5s. net. Crown 8vo. Price $1.50 net.

In a Tuscan Garden. With numerous Illustrations, and a Cover Design. Price 5s. net. Crown 8vo. Price $1.50 net.

BY CANON ELLACOMBE

Author of "In a Gloucestershire Garden," &c.

In My Vicarage Garden. With illustrations by F. L. B. GRIGGS.

Price 5s. net. Crown 8vo. Price $1.50 net.

BY FORBES WATSON

Flowers and Gardens. With Photogravure Portrait of the Author. Edited, with a Biographical Note, by Canon ELLACOMBE.

Price 5s. net. Crown 8vo. Price $1.50 net.

BY JOHN D. SEDDING

Garden-Craft Old and New. With a Memorial Notice by the Rev. E. F. RUSSELL, and nine full-page Illustrations. New Edition.

Price 7s. 6d. net. Demy 8vo. Price $2.50 net.

BY E. H. POLLARD

The Natural History of Selborne. Edited, with an Introduction, by GRANT ALLEN. With nearly 200 Illustrations by EDMUND H. NEW.

Price 5s. net. Crown 8vo. Price $1.50 net.

BY IZAAK WALTON AND CHARLES COTTON

The Compleat Angler. Edited, with an Introduction, by RICHARD LE GALLIENNE. With Photogravure Portraits of Walton and Cotton, and over 250 Illustrations and Cover designed by EDMUND H. NEW.

Price 15s. net. Fcap. 4to. Price $6.00.

BY CHARLES HENRY LANE

All About Dogs. A Book for Doggy People.

With 85 Full-page Illustrations (including nearly 70 champions) by R. H. MOORE. Gilt top.

Price 7s. 6d. net. Demy 8vo. Price $2.50 net.

JOHN LANE: LONDON: VIGO STREET, W. NEW YORK: 67 FIFTH AVENUE.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Book of Pears and Plums, by Edward Bartrum