Sir, The two mulberry trees in Fountain Court in the Middle Temple are indeed treasures but not “undiscovered or unappreciated” (letter, April 30). They were immortalised in Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens, who made them and Fountain Court the setting of the exquisite lovers’ meeting between Ruth Pinch and John Westlock.

They probably have a 1608 rootstock: James I issued a royal prerogative to plant 10,000 mulberry trees in an attempt to start a silk industry in England using skilled Huguenot immigrant labour to rival those in France and Italy and break into the lucrative luxury goods market of fashionable silk. The scheme failed because the black mulberry imported from the colony of Virginia rather than the white mulberry of ancient Chinese origin (2640BC) was planted.

Those celebrating this year 400 years of the granting of their Royal charters by James I, such as the town of Banbury and the Inner Temple, will be planting mulberry trees in June. The Middle Temple obviously has no need to do so.

His Honour Judge Simon Brown, QC
Master of the Garden of the Inner Temple, London EC4