There are but few persons who know what a good thing this mulberry is. Owing to the efforts made to introduce the Morus alba for silk-worm culture, many more of this sort are met with than of any other, and the general idea of what a mulberry tastes like, is founded on experience with it. This is to be regretted, for the Downing's mulberry is an entirely different fruit from the alba. While the latter is over-sweet, having what is commonly termed a "sickly taste," the Downing's has a pleasant tartness which is very agreeable to the palate, being besides, a much larger fruit. Unlike the alba, which ripens its fruit all at once, the Downing's continues to ripen for a long time, commencing about the end of June and ending towards the close of July, in the neighborhood of Philadelphia.

Mulberries are often grown in bush form, but in the case of the Downing's, at least, this is a mistake, as when in tree form it forms a shapely head, which together with its large leaves, make it valuable as a shade tree. Philadelphia.