Mulberry - Morus bombycis; mulberry

Japanese: クワ(桑) - クワ（英語表記）Morus bombycis; mulberry

It is a deciduous tall tree of the mulberry family, and is often planted in fields or mountain areas because its leaves are used for sericulture. It is dioecious, and female trees bear aggregate fruits that turn blackish purple when ripe. The fruits are sweet and sour and edible. The ones that grow wild in mountain areas are called Yamaguwa. The wood is resistant to warping and can be used for furniture. Mulberry fields are usually planted with about 1000 trees per 10 ares, with 2m between the rows and 0.5m between the plants. A densely planted mulberry field can be completed in a short period of time, has a high yield, and has thin rows, so a small binder-type mulberry harvester can be used. However, it has the disadvantages of requiring a large number of seedlings to create the field, and the mesophyll is thin and easily wilted. Training involves lowering the tree height and shaping it to make harvesting and management easier, increase the yield, and allow for harvesting at the right time. A trunk height of 50cm or less is called root-cut training, 50-150cm is called medium-cut training, and 2m or more is called high-cut training. When pruning a stump, if the stump is cut every year without leaving any buds, it is called a fist-cut training, and if cutting is continued leaving some of the base of the branches, the stump will become taller each year and become a non-fist-cut training. Harvesting at any time without regular pruning is called standing training.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

クワ科の落葉高木で，葉を養蚕に用いるため多くは畑や山地に栽植されている。雌雄異株で，雌木には熟すると黒紫色になる集合果がつく。実は甘ずっぱく食用となる。山地に自生するものをヤマグワという。材は狂いが少く家具材となる。桑園は畦間 2m，株間 0.5mぐらいで，10aあたり 1000本程度植えたものが多い。畦間，株間を詰めて 10aあたり 2000～3000本植えた桑園を密植桑園といい，短期間で完成桑園になり，収穫量も多く条も細いので，バインダー式の小型桑刈り機が使えるが，造成に多量の苗を要することと，葉肉が薄くしおれやすい欠点がある。収穫や管理を容易にし，収穫量を増加させ，適期に収穫できるように，樹高を低くし，樹形を整えるのが仕立てで，幹の高さ 50cm以下を根刈り仕立て，50～150cmを中刈り仕立て，2m以上を高刈り仕立てという。株を剪定するとき，毎年芽を残さず刈取る株は拳式となり，枝の基部の一部を残して刈取りを続けると株は年々高くなって無拳式となる。一定の剪定をせずに随時収穫するものを立通しという。

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