BOARD OF HORTICULTURE 139 



ready to plant, distribute the trees to the various lioles and heel in temporarily. 

 Now. with a sharp knife, dis out all Inids on the trunk below, where the surface 

 of the ground will come, which will reduee the number of suckers materially. 

 ße sure to dig out all of the bud. Do not merely scrape the bark. 



Plant not closer than 20 I)y 20 feet, as it has been demonstrated in every old 

 grove that this is the minimum distance. Our big Barcelonas measure 20 to 24 

 feet in spread. On the square System, this would give 108 trees to the acre; by 

 the triangulär system, 125. If I were planting a new tract, where I did not have 

 to line up to existing groves, I believe I would use this system, as it would 

 increase the yield per acre about 15 per cent, at a less than proportionate first 

 cost per acre, and yet give ample room if proper pruning is done. If it isn't going 

 to be done. the prospective planter had better stay away from all orchards and 

 plant potatoes. The ouly exception would l)e where interplantiug is contemplated 

 the first few years, and in that case, the square System had better be used. 



The first year, in fact. every year. cultivation is very important to conserve 

 the moisture and maintain a dust mulch. Where necessary the first year. band 

 hoeing should be resorted to. Thereafter, the filbert will stand considerable 

 neglect. liut if you want to mako money out of your grove. do not omit cultivation 

 as long as it lives ; manure or plow in cover crops occasionally, because a filbert 

 tree is very much like a cow which won't give much milk on a diet of salt 

 and water. 



As to heading, this is a matter of preference. My uncle likes a low-headed 

 tree. but then he doesn't do the cultivation. I know of no real objection to 

 heading 24 to 30 inches. and it lessens the work of suckering, cultivating. etc., 

 considerably. 



Yisitors to our groves notice that we have trees with one. two and three 

 trunks. From an aesthetic point of view, a grove of one-trunk trees looks better, 

 particularly in winter when the foliage is off. In our display we have pictures 

 of these trees. It frequently happens that one side of a tree is shy or lopsided, 

 especially when the pruning and training the second year was done before the 

 fire. By permitting a sucker to grow on that side. in time it will fill out the 

 tree and make it round-headed, increasing the bearing surface. I would not grow 

 trees deliberately to two or three trunks. but there is no particular objection. if 

 the trunks are made to grow upright so as to not hinder cultivation. We could 

 out off the lopsided top and permit a thrifty sucker, with buds on all sides, to 

 grow and make a new top. and with a large root system behind it, it will show a 

 rapid growth. This may not be desirable. however. when the tree is several years 

 old. and some careless cultivator has broken a large limb. thus deforming the tree. 

 One thing. the yield will not be affected much either way. 



Suckering 



It is the nature of filberts to throw suckers. If these suckers are permitted 

 to grow unchecked they will take all the vitality of the tree, the growth of the 

 top will practically cease and, instead of nuts, the tree will be devoted to pro- 

 ducing suckers. Some of these suckers attain a length of ten feet and more in a 

 Single season. If we do not sucker our grove soon ceases to provide a tin lizzie 

 and the necessary gas, and becomes a source of expense. And to remove them 

 after they have matured does no good. They should be removed shortly after they 

 appear, say in May, while the growth is succulent. Dig the dirt away uutil the 

 roots branching from the base of the tree are exposed and, with a sharp knife, 

 dig out the sucker and be sure the bud goes too. In a very few years, if your 

 work has been well done. the roots will cease to throw suckers. Cutting off the 

 sucker just under the ground leaves a stub which will throw suckers in addition 

 to the roots, and in a Short time you will have a real jungle. so do your suckering 

 religiously the first two or three years they appear, and you will be through. 



