Chapter 448 Mulberry Tree
Silkworms are very greedy in the later stages and require a lot of mulberry leaves.
The mulberry forest planted by the silkworm farmers is already quite old. Most of the mulberry trees are old, with trunks thicker than arms, which is considered to be relatively old. Generally, mulberry trees used for silkworm breeding are long-shooting mulberry trees. Unless they are planted for picking mulberries, it is rare for mulberry trees to grow to such an old age.
At least she had never seen it. Only the mulberry tree at the foot of Meishan Mountain, near the village, from which delicious mulberries could be picked every year, could grow so big.
When silkworms can be raised in the later stage, the branches of these mulberry trees can be cut and planted to expand the number of mulberry forests.
A lot of saplings were dug out and transported back this time. The two largest mulberry trees could not be dug up, and even two people could not transport them back. They could only dig up smaller ones, which were easier to plant.
Next to the mulberry forest is a fish pond with many fish in it. The mulberry trees near the fish pond are particularly dense, and the larger mulberry trees are also here. Mu Xi said: "The silkworm eggs were also found here. I searched nearby for a while, but I could hardly find any besides this place."
Zhao Yeqing walked while squatting, and carefully examined the leaves of the mulberry tree near the fish pond, where she found several grown-up wild silkworms.
She planned to stay here for now and let these wild silkworms grow on their own. If they couldn't keep them alive, she would have a backup plan when she returned.
However, it is 80% certain that the mulberry trees will grow better if planted next to the fish pond. Zhao Yeqing thought about it and dug up a few more trees next to the fish pond. They were a little bigger, but if they needed to take cuttings in the future, he would have to use the branches of these trees.
She guessed that the reason why it grew well was that there were fish living in the fish pond here, and the silt in the fish pond was sufficient in nutrients. The mulberry trees in such a growing environment would not be malnourished, and the survival rate of subsequent cuttings would be higher.
The mulberry tree next to it has not been fertilized for many years. It looks okay, but when placed together with this row of mulberry trees, it looks like a child who is malnourished for years and has a pale and skinny face. Compared with the trees in this row, it is nearly one-third shorter.
After Mu Xi loaded all the mulberry seedlings he had dug up into the truck, he suddenly felt a chill on his face. Thinking it was raining, he quickened his hand movements, but as he moved he felt something was wrong.
The shadow reflected on the ground in front of me was pitch black, and the sunlight above my head was so bright that I couldn't even look up.
Where do these water drops come from?
Zhao Yeqing glanced in the direction of the sound and nodded: "Look, there are quite a few cicadas on the mulberry tree over there."
In summer, cicadas chirp.
This type of insect that sucks plant sap has a small stomach and will urinate when it is full. If you pass by a tree on a sunny day and feel a drop of water dripping on you, it is most likely the urine of this type of insect.
Mu Xi was working and didn't notice the cicada next to him. Now he could only wipe the water drops off his face helplessly and walked to the water source to get a handful of water to wipe his face.
Zhao Yeqing went to avenge Mu Xi, took out his slingshot, and with luck he shot down the culprit in one shot.
The two of them hadn't had lunch yet, and were planning to come here to eat the grilled fish they had last time. Mu Xi said there was a fish pond here that used to be used to raise fish, so she decided not to bring anything and just come here to eat from the fish pond.
The last time Mu Xi came here, he brought various cooking seasonings and placed them in the kitchen of the silkworm farmer's house. He would use them if he came here often in the future.
After catching three fish and the cicada he had just shot, he returned to the kitchen on the second floor. When Zhao Yeqing passed by the first floor, he suddenly realized that the rotten plants he had seen on the first floor, which he thought were pig grass, were actually mulberry leaves harvested by the original owner.
But why does it have a pole?
Zhao Yeqing silently noted this detail. Could it be that mulberry leaves with stems are better for feeding? You can try it.
Several large bundles of saplings were loaded onto the truck, and Zhao Yeqing also took away a small red clay stove from the kitchen. This thing was small and very suitable for making tea by the stove in the yard in winter. It was much more refined than the one they had made before.
Unfortunately, the tea leaves found in the family's kitchen had already gone moldy. Zhao Yeqing looked up at the sky with tears in his eyes, thinking: Why not take advantage of the good weather and pick more flowers when they are in full bloom, so that I can make some scented tea later.
She can put some chestnuts and other fruits on the small stove and roast them. They can be roasted when the temperature turns cold in autumn. By then, in addition to chestnuts, there will also be citrus fruits that she can finally eat this year. Last year's citrus fruits were purely sour. She has taken great care of them during the fruit-swelling period this year, and she doesn't believe that she won't be able to eat delicious fruits.
The three large sewing tools were still lying in the house, and the two men had already returned to the meadow with the mulberry saplings.
Where to plant it?
Zhao Yeqing's idea was to plant it next to the fish pond, but there were already grapes next to the pond, and she was reluctant to pull them out. Now the grapes grow so well every year, also thanks to the nutrients in the fish pond silt.
It’s better to plant it aside. Mulberry trees are easy to grow anyway. They can be planted in fields or on slopes behind houses. If you can’t grow them, just fertilize them more frequently.
The characteristic of plants in rainforest climate is that their roots are shallow. It is not known whether the mulberry tree can adapt here. Zhao Yeqing spent a lot of effort to build ridges for the land where the mulberry tree was planted, trying his best to create conditions in the hope that it could survive.
They haven't seen wolves or the like in the past few months, so the two of them have less worries after the cattle and sheep went out to graze. But in order to prevent accidents, if they appear again, the cattle and sheep will have to come back to graze on the grass within the enclosure, so the mulberry trees cannot be planted randomly.
The most space-saving way of planting is to plant along the edge of the wooden fence, which will not affect the growth of wild grass on the grassland. Zhao Yeqing also scattered a lot of grass seeds on the grassland some time ago. There are many grass seeds at home. Anyway, growing wild grass is the same as growing grass, so it is better to grow grass.
But if the mulberry trees are planted along the edge of the wall, the cattle and sheep will have to graze at home and it will be inconvenient to isolate them. Cows and sheep also love to eat mulberry leaves, and if they are not fenced in, they will all be eaten up in a short time.
We still have to plant them together and then build a fence when the time comes.
The mulberry saplings that were dug up had little soil at the roots, as soil was too heavy. The saplings without soil had to be planted quickly, otherwise they would easily wither without soil support. The two men did not rest for a moment as they made ridges, dug holes and planted the trees. They were busy for a day and a half and finished everything.
Coincidentally, the silkworm eggs in the box hatched on time.
Zhao Yeqing was convinced: "Could this silkworm be born by smelling something?"
Mu Xi placed the little black silkworms in a winnowing basket lined with mulberry leaves, but he didn't dare put the hollow frame in there.
People are always cautious when dealing with things they come into contact with for the first time or things they are unfamiliar with. Mu Xi was no exception, fearing that the silkworm, which was not much thicker than a hair, might fall through the hollow gap and die young if it was not stable.
Put it in a relatively safe dustpan first.
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