Mulberry question

[Cuban Missile]

My dad wants to take down two Mulberry trees that are shadowing  his garden area that are around 40' tall.  Score on my part!  

So before chopping this down I would like to know should I leave the logs un-split and bark on?

I hear it is like Black locust and I know black locust likes to check if you take the bark off to early.  I have never cut and seasoned ANY wood for self bows besides two ash trees that I have drying now.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I peeled bark and sealed mine a year ago and they look perfect still, no back checks at all. I left the sapwood on.

[Cuban Missile]

Ok, are you saying you sealed the sapwood or just the ends?    
Did you split it or just leave it whole?

[PEARL DRUMS]

I sealed the sapwood and the ends.

[John Scifres]

I would treat it like osage.  Bark on and ends sealed or bark and sapwood off and ends and back sealed.

[inksoup]

most woods are going to build some cracks if you peal the bark for seasoning. probably it will be the same with mulberry. i would not take the risk if i were you    
i learn this from experience.

leave it as it is just seal the ends with white wood glue or pitch or clay.

good luck.

[Living_waters]

I have done it both ways and have good luck drying mulberry. As far as best to work with, I like bark on busted into staves and if it is deep enough, have a belly split off of. In other words reduced as much as possible with the bark on. LOOOOVE my Mulberry!

[Cuban Missile]

Good to hear guys thanks for all your info!

[George Tsoukalas]

Good for you. When I cut BL I always mean to remove the bark but almost never do until bow time. LOL. I seal the ends pronto. I would treat mulberry like osage and BL. But I never cut it because it doesn't grow in NH...at least I've never seen it here.     Jawge

[okie64]

Ive seasoned mulberry with bark on and without. It doesnt check nearly as bad as osage or bl in my experience. Im kinda like George, I always have the intention to take the bark off quickly but I seldom do until Im ready to make a bow.