ach other.

"There is still a fourth species of this genus, called the paper
mulberry (_Morus papyrifera_). This, however, has been separated by
botanists into another genus; but it is worth a word here, as it is a
very curious and valuable tree, or, rather, a large shrub, for it does
not grow so tall as either of the other three. It is a native of China,
Japan, and the islands of the Pacific Ocean; but, like the others, it is
cultivated for ornament both in Europe and America. Its fruit, which is
of a scarlet colour, is globe-shaped, and not oblong, as that of the
true mulberries; and this is one reason why it has been separated into a
genus by itself. Its leaves are of no use for silk-making, but they
make excellent food for cattle; and as the tree grows rapidly, and
carries such large bunches of leaves, some people have said that it
would yield better than grass, and should be cultivated for pasture. I
do not know whether this has been tried yet. The most interesting part
of the paper mulberry is its bark, which is used in the manufacture of
paper both in China and Japan. The beautiful India paper used for
engravings is made from it, and so, too, is the fine white cloth worn by
the natives of the Society Islands, and which so much astonished
Europeans when they first saw it. It would be interesting to detail the
process of manufacturing this cloth as well as the paper, but it would
take up too much of our time at present.

"There is another genus of trees which resembles the mulberries very
much. They are valuable for their wood, which produces a fine yellow
dye, known by the name of `fustic-wood.' The tree that produces the
best of this dye is the _Morus tinctoria_, and grows in the West Indies
and tropical America; but there is a species found in the southern
United States, of an inferior kind, which produces the `bastard fustic'
of commerce.

"So much, then, for the mulberry-tree; but I fear, brothers, I have left
but little time to describe the others."

"Oh! plenty of time," said Basil; "we have nothing else to do. We are
better learning from you than rambling idly about; and upon my word,
Luce, you make me begin to take an interest in botany."

"Well, I am glad of that," rejoined Lucien, "for I hold it to be a
science productive of much good, not only on account of its utility in
the arts and manufactures, but to the mind of the student himself; for,
in my belief, it has a refining influence."