Paradisi in sole paradisus terrestris, or, A garden of all sorts of pleasant flowers which our English ayre will permitt to be noursed vp / a kitchen garden of all manner of herbes, rootes & fruites for meate or sauce vsed with vs, and, an orchard of all sorte of fruitbearing trees and shrubbes fit for our land, together with the right orderinge, planting & preseruing of them and their vses & vertues

by John Parkinson

Chap. XXIIII.
Morus. The Mulberrie.

There are two sorts of Mulberries sufficiently known to most, the blackish and the white: but wee haue had brought vs from Virginia another sort, which is of greater respect then eyther of the other two, not onely in regard of the raritie, but of the vse, as you shall presently vnderstand.

1. Morus nigra. The blacke Mulberrie.

The blacke Mulberrie tree groweth oftentimes tall and great, and oftentimes also crooked, and spreading abroade, rather then high; for it is subiect to abide what forme you will conforme it vnto: if by suffering it to grow, it will mount vp, and if you will binde it, or plash the boughes, they will so abide, and be carried ouer arbours, or other things as you will haue it. The bodie groweth in time to bee very great, couered with a rugged or thicke barke, the armes or branches being smoother, whereon doe grow round thicke leaues pointed at the ends, and nicked about the edges, and in some there are to be seene deep gashes, making it seeme somewhat like the Vine leafe: the flowers are certaine short dounie catkings, which turne into greene berries at the first, afterwards red, and when they are full ripe blacke, made of many graines set together, like vnto the blacke berrie, but longer and greater: before they are ripe, they haue an austere and harsh taste, but when they are full ripe, they are more sweete and pleasant; the iuice whereof is so red, that it will staine the hands of them that handle and eate them.

2. Morus alba. The white Mulberrie.

The white Mulberrie tree groweth not with vs to that greatnesse or bulke of bodie that the blacke doth, but runneth vp higher, slenderer, more knotty, hard and brittle, with thinner spreade armes and branches: the leaues are like the former, but not so thicke set on the branches, nor so hard in handling, a little paler also, hauing somewhat longer stalkes: the fruit is smaller and closer set together, greene, and somewhat harsh before they be ripe, but of a wonderfull sweetnesse, almost ready to procure loathing when they are thorough ripe, and white, with such like seede in them as in the former, but smaller.

3. Morus Virginiana. The Virginia Mulberrie.

The Virginia Mulberry tree groweth quickely with vs to be a very great tree, spreading many armes and branches, whereon grow faire great leaues, very like vnto the leaues of the white Mulberrie tree: the berry or fruit is longer and redder then either of the other, and of a very pleasant taste.