182 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



are consumed in the south of Europe 

 and exported to more northern coun- 

 tries, but a number of cultivated vari- 

 ieties, the nuts of which aie larger and 

 sweeter. 



I formerly imported a large number 

 of trees of the best of these varieties 

 from France, but they were too tender 

 for this climate, and died off in a few 

 years. This may, however, be attri- 

 buted to unsuitable soil, and I presume 

 that, planted on soil in which the 

 common chestnut thrives, they would 

 stand our Winters. Farther south, on 

 land as previously described, they 

 would no doubt do well and prove 

 highly profitable ; while in the light, 

 sandy soil best suitable for it other 

 crops do not prove profitable. 



The Almond {amygdalus communis), 

 will do well in many parts of the 

 United States, wherever the peach 

 grows and the seasons are long enough 

 to bring its fruit to maturity. I have 

 grown the hard-shell variety in per- 

 fection here, but I have not heard of 

 orchards being planted with it, though 

 it would prove highly profitable in the 

 Southern States or California ; and it 

 could be grown in place of peaches 

 where the latter would be too far from 

 a market. Its cultivation is the same 

 as the peach, to which it is nearly al- 

 lied. In France the peach is commonly 

 budded on the common almond, being 

 considered more hardy. There are 

 several varieties, the common the hard- 

 shell sweet, the soft-shell sweet and the 

 hitter almond. The soft-shell sweet 

 ripens much earlier than the other 

 varieties, but is rather tender north of 

 Philadelphia. As the nuts imported 

 from Europe are often stale and musty 

 there is no reason why all that are re- 

 quired in this country should not be 

 grown in it, so as to have them always 

 fresh and sweet. 



The cultivation of nut-bearing trees 



is very simple when understood. As a 

 general thing they will succeed much 

 better if the nuts are planted as soon 

 as ripe in the Fall where they are to 

 stand. The greater part of them have 

 very large tap-roots which have to be 

 cut off short in removing them, so that 

 they do not thrive or even grow, as 

 before mentioned, when transplanted. 



Two or three nuts should be planted 

 in a hill, the best only being allowed 

 to grow. The great difiiculty in plant- 

 ing in this manner on waste lands which 

 are usually used as pasturage will be to 

 keep the cattle from browsing them till 

 they are high enough and large enough 

 to be out of danger. A few stakes 

 driven in around them and wattled 

 with thorn branches is an excellent 

 protection, and a space round each tree 

 wherein grass should be hoed for some 

 years. 



When planted as orchard or groves 

 it would be advisable to keep the land 

 planted with corn or hoed crops. Thick 

 planting is advisable, to be thinned out 

 by degrees to the proper distance. The 

 thinnings of the hickories more especi- 

 ally would sell well and pay for the 

 cultivation till the trees begin to bear. 



After procuring the nuts in the Fall 

 they should not be allowed to dry or 

 shrivel in the least. If not convenient 

 to plant at once where they are to stand 

 they should be mixed with sand or 

 light mould in a box or barrel and ex- 

 posed to the freezing and thawing of 

 Winter, to be planted out the first 

 thing in Spring, as is usually done with 

 peach-stones. 



Windsor Nurseries, Ont., Canada. 



Mulching Strawberby Plants. — A 

 correspondent of the Rural World advises ■ 

 fruit growers to use old straw for a mulch 

 for strawberries when applied in the spring 

 to keep down weeds, as in a dry time the 

 straw does not settle down to the ground. 



