458 



THE CULTIVATION OF THE FILBERT. 



by the Rev. W. Williamson, publislied in 

 one of the early volumes of the Transac- 

 tions of the Horticultural Society. 



The first consideration in making a plan- 

 tation, is to select a proper soil ; for if that 

 be not congenial to the constitution of the 

 plants, we cannot expect any great success. 

 The soil in which the filbert is found to 

 flourish best, is a hazel loam of some depth, 

 with a dry subsoil. If the subsoil be too 

 retentive of moisture, the trees are apt to 

 run too much to wood, without throwing 

 out those short twigs upon which the fruit 

 is generally produced. In that part of Kent 

 which is famous for the cultivation of the 

 filbert, the soil is loam upon a dry sandy 

 rock. It may be taken as a general rule, 

 that soil which is proper for the growth of 

 hops, is also congenial to the filbert. 



The filbert requires a considerable quan- 

 tity of manure ; the grounds in Kent are 

 dressed every year, or at least once in two 

 years. Every kind of manure is beneficial; 

 but old woollen rags are found to produce 

 the greatest effect. 



There are four methods of raising the 

 plants ; by suckers, layers, grafting, and 

 sowing the nuts. Each may be practiced 

 according to the peculiar object of the culti- 

 vator ; but the best method is by suckers ; 

 they come sooner into bearing, and make 

 stronger plants than either layers or grafts. 

 They are taken from the parent plant gene- 

 rally in the autumn, and planted in nursery 

 beds, (being first shortened to ten or twelve 

 inches,) where they remain three or four 

 years. They are slightly pruned every 

 year, in order to form strong lateral shoots, 

 the number of which varies from four to 

 six. The most free growing plants are ob- 

 tained by sowing the nuts ; but they are so 

 long in coming to a productive state, and 

 are, besides, so much inclined to degene- 

 rate into inferior varieties, that this method 



should not be resorted to in making a per- 

 manent plantation. The plants raised by 

 layering and grafting are of more humble 

 growth, and therefore better adapted for 

 sinall gardens where economy of space is 

 made an object. 



The method of pruning the filbert being 

 different from that of every other tree, and 

 not generally practiced, a particular expla- 

 nation of it will be necessary. Mr. Wil- 

 liamson has done this so clearly, that we 

 cannot do better than quote his words, 

 which follow : Before any one can possi- 

 bly prune a tree with propriety, it is neces- 

 sary that he perfectly understand the mode 

 of its fructification. The fruit of the vine is 

 produced only upon shoots of the preceding 

 year ; cherries are grown chiefly upon short 

 spurs emitted from the sides of the larger 

 branches; if, therefore, the last year's shoots 

 of the vine, or the spurs of the cherry tree, 

 are destroyed, there can be no fruit. Now, 

 in some respects, the filbert is similar in its 

 fructification to both these trees ; the bear- 

 ing branches being always those of the pre- 

 ceding year, similar to the vine, and these 

 branches, if the tree be properly pruned, 

 might with great propriety be called spurs, 

 allowing for the difference between the fil- 

 bert and the cherry; these short twigs or 

 spurs are not more than a few inches long, 

 every bud of which, in a good year, produ- 

 ces fruit. The great object of the follow- 

 ing method of pruning is to cause the trees 

 to throw out these spurs in great abundance ; 

 and Avhen they are got to a proper bearing 

 state, more than sufficient will be produced. 

 But though it is the usual practice to plant 

 the suckers in nursery beds, I would advise 

 every one to plant them where they are to 

 remain, whether they are intended for a 

 garden or a larger plantation : and after 

 being suffered to grow without restraint for 

 three or four years, to cut them down within 



