When I see a mulberry tree in the Pine Barrens, livestock first comes to mind. Garden farms here planted them as feed supplement to cut production costs. Smith’s (1953) book, Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture was a popular guide that was promoted by Soil Conservation Service. A copy resided on our Richland Garden Farm bookshelf. Chapter X was titled, “A summer pasture tree for swine and poultry—the mulberry.” Mulberries were commonplace in chicken runs.
According to The Vineland Historical Magazine (1930: 196), in 1878 Charles K. Landis formed an Italian Silk Growers Society, which was active in the New Italy and Garden Road settlements. Fourteen of the families had grown silk back in Italy.
S-M