Mulberry orchard - Souen

A field where mulberry trees are grown for sericulture. The fields from which mulberry trees are harvested vary depending on the sericulture season or the age of the silkworms, and these are called mulberry gardens by purpose. That is, in a mulberry garden for both spring and autumn silkworm rearing, mulberry trees are harvested for both the spring and autumn silkworm rearing seasons, and the spring buds are harvested for the spring silkworms, then cut back and the branches and leaves that grow later are used for the autumn silkworms. This is the most common type of mulberry garden nationwide, and in western Japan outside the Sanin region, this mulberry garden is the only place where sericulture is carried out for the entire year. In a mulberry garden exclusively for spring silkworm rearing, the leaves are harvested only during the spring silkworm rearing season and left unattended from summer onwards, and they are cultivated in areas with heavy snowfall and a short growing season. In a mulberry garden exclusively for summer and autumn silkworm rearing, the branches are cut back before they sprout in spring and the leaves are harvested only during the summer and autumn silkworm rearing season. There are gardens for young silkworms and mature silkworms according to the age of the silkworms. Mulberry fields for young silkworms are for growing soft young leaves, while mulberry fields for mature silkworms are for growing large leaves to feed to 4th and 5th instar silkworms, and require a high yield. For this reason, the planting density and management methods for each type of mulberry are different.

Mulberry gardens are best grown on fertile, flat land with good sunlight and ventilation, but mulberry trees also grow well in the poor soil of mountainous areas. They are not suited to wetlands. In recent years, mulberry gardens have been created in groups in mountainous areas. Mulberry seedlings are planted and the leaves are harvested from the second or third year. During this time, the branches are pruned every year and training is carried out to create a framework for the stump. Depending on the height of the training, mulberry gardens are broadly divided into three types: root pruning at 0.4 meters, medium pruning at 0.5 to 1.5 meters, and high pruning at 1.5 meters or more. Root pruning is the norm, and high pruning is carried out in areas with heavy snowfall.

[Hoshikawa Kiyochika]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

養蚕のためにクワを栽培する畑。養蚕の時期別あるいはカイコの齢(れい)に応じてクワをとる畑が異なり、これを用途別桑園という。すなわち春秋蚕(しゅんじゅうさん)兼用桑園は春と秋の二蚕期用のクワをとるもので、春蚕用には春の萌芽(ほうが)を収穫し、その後切り戻して以降に伸び出す枝葉を秋蚕用に使う。全国にもっとも一般的な桑園で、山陰地方以外の西日本ではこの桑園だけで1年の養蚕を行っている。春蚕専用桑園は春蚕期のみに葉をとり、夏以降は放置するもので、生育期の短い多雪地でつくられる。夏秋蚕専用桑園は春の発芽以前に枝を切り戻し、夏秋蚕の時期にのみ葉をとる。蚕齢別には稚蚕用と壮蚕用とがある。稚蚕用桑園は葉質の軟らかい若葉をとるもの、壮蚕用桑園は4、5齢期のカイコに与えるための大きく育った葉をとるもので、収量が多いことを必要とする。このためそれぞれクワの栽植密度や管理方法を異にする。

　桑園は日照・通風のよい肥沃(ひよく)な平坦(へいたん)地が適地だが、クワは山地のやせ地にもよく育つ。湿地には適さない。近年は桑園が山間地に集団でつくられている。クワは苗を定植して2、3年目から葉を収穫する。この間に毎年枝を刈って株の骨格づくりをする仕立てを行う。仕立ての刈り高により0.4メートルの根刈り、0.5～1.5メートルの中刈り、1.5メートル以上の高刈り桑園の3種に大別される。普通は根刈り仕立てで、高刈りは積雪地帯で行う。

［星川清親］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例