Qianjiang Evening News·Hours News Chief Reporter Bao Yafei
It is not unusual to say that the tree has aged over thousands of years, but it only has about 180 years; in fact, it is rare. This tree is mulberry . The leaves on the tree are called mulberry leaves , and the fruit produced is called mulberries.
Everyone knows what is happening on the surface: pick mulberry trees, raise silkworms with mulberry trees, sprinkle silkworms, and make silk clothes. The story behind
may not be known to many people: mulberry trees are divided into wild small leaves and grafted large leaves; mulberry trees planted in the fields may die or rot in less than ten years. The main trunk is about 1 meter high (convenient to mulberry harvesting), and the tree diameter is 20 cm. Very few can grow into thigh thickness.
Recently, this mulberry tree that appeared by the Qiandao Lake in Chun'an was called "King of Mulberry Trees". The main trunk of the tree is about 5 meters high and the diameter is nearly 50 cm.
Many silkworm farmers who have raised silkworms for their whole life said that they have never seen such a big mulberry tree.
1】When I collect herbs, the mulberry tree king was found by the pool formed by the landslide and
It was discovered that this tree was first found in the late autumn of 2020.
On this day, Wang Yu (pseudonym) from Shuangyuan Village, Langchuan, Chun'an was digging herbs in Lianling Mountain, Polygonatum , Bletilla striata , Golden thread hanging hoist , etc.
As he approached the mountain, he walked to a small bay. "It should be that there was a landslide last year, and a pool of 100 square meters was formed here." It was the first time he had arrived at this place. From the distance, he could reach the foot of the mountain in more than ten or twenty minutes. There was a road at the foot of the mountain, so it was not far from home. When he bent down to wash his hands, he saw a tree by the pond. It was very beautiful and thick.
"I still have some understanding of plants. I looked at the bark and roots for a long time and didn't know what kind of tree it was." He only knew that almost all the trees on the mountain were afraid of water. If they were soaked in water for a long time, they would have to die. But the tree was a little strange, "About half of the roots were soaked in water. No wonder there were large dead branches on the top of the tree." He dug a piece of bark the size of a palm with a medicine hoe. Looking closely, it might be a wild mulberry tree.
Wang Yu's family also raises silkworms. When he was a child, he followed his parents to dig mulberry gardens and pick mulberry leaves. In decades, he had never seen such a big mulberry tree.
"It's too big, I can hardly believe it." He was half-believing and half-doubted. The next day, he chose to report to the township government.
2】The mulberry tree king is 180 years old. To protect it, it needs to help it move
The agricultural and forestry experts at the county and township levels soon arrived at the scene, and several views were quickly unified: after identification, the tree discovered by Wang Yu was indeed a mulberry tree, which was about 180 years old, which is very rare. Because the roots of the mulberry tree king are soaked in water, the growth environment needs to be changed.
Chun'an County Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau Senior agronomist Xiao Jianjing explained that ordinary artificial mulberry trees will enter a high yield period in the fourth year, and the yield will significantly decrease in about 15 years and enter the elimination rotation stage. "It is not uncommon to have a diameter of less than 30 cm, but it is rare to reach 50 cm." He himself has been engaged in the field of sericulture for many years and has also specially searched for giant mulberry trees but failed. "The forestry department has a census for forest trees, but mulberry trees as economic crops have not entered the census field, so the records about large mulberry trees are not visible."
"The mulberry trees grow on the mountainside, and large machines cannot go up the mountain, so the problem of soaking in water is difficult to solve." The relevant person in charge of the Langchuan Township Government conducted many arguments in conjunction with experts. In order to better protect, and to allow more people to understand the local sericulture culture through the mulberry trees, the local area finally determined the transfer plan: determine the new location, determine the transplanting time, determine the transplanting method, and transport plan.
In early March this year, everything had not sprouted yet, and a protection action against the King of Mulberry Tree was launched in Lianling Mountain: pruning branches, setting up three fixed supporting stalks, and hoisting them with metal "gourds"... After the straw ropes were tied to the roots of the mulberry tree, the King of Mulberry Tree moved down the mountain one meter and one meter.
3】The mulberry tree king has become a "net celebrity" in the eyes of silkworm farmers
Combining various factors, the rare mulberry tree king eventually settled in the backyard of the living room of Langchuan Township town.
Of course, every step of the transplanting process has received additional attention from technicians.
A month has passed, and there are many visitors who have heard about the news of the Mulberry King.
"I have raised silkworms for decades and planted many batches of mulberry trees. I have never seen such a thick and tall mulberry tree."
"It's really a mulberry tree, these leaves and these mutton flowers are rare and strange."
"The mulberry trees will bear fruit soon, aren't the mulberry trees produced by the mulberry king more rare?"
Young, old, male, and female, everyone sees mulberry trees in the living room of Langchuan Town. The mulberry tree king has become an internet celebrity in the eyes of silkworm farmers.
"On the one hand, we can better protect the mulberry tree king. On the other hand, through the mulberry tree king, we will let more silkworm farmers and tourists understand and pay attention to the local sericulture culture, and win multiple goals at one stroke." The relevant person in charge of Langchuan Township said that the local sericulture breeding has a long history, a strong culture and a significant economic role. Digging deeper into the historical and cultural accumulation will bring a huge promoting effect to local development.
hours news reporters learned that Chun'an County is a key production area of silkworm cocoons in Zhejiang Province. Silkworm is one of the four major agricultural pillar industries of Chun'an , and the proportion of high-quality silkworm cocoons accounts for about 10% of the total national output. There are tens of thousands of households raising silkworms in all townships in the county, with a mulberry garden area of about 80,000 mu. The annual total output value of sericulture at its peak exceeded 300 million yuan.
Entering April, the Mulberry King has already sprouted new buds. If you go, remember the backyard of the living room of Langchuan Town, please take a closer look at it from a distance and then experience the local sericulture culture for thousands of years.
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