142 TREE-PLANTING. 



spring, in light and sandy soil, covered one inch. The 

 young plants spring up towards the end of May, when 

 the ground should be kept clear of weeds ; during the 

 following summer, and when the seedlings are a year 

 old, they should be planted out into nursery lines, 

 those which are weakly being left behind in the seed- 

 bed for another year. 



The common hazel embraces a great variety, 

 many of which are cultivated entirely for the sake of 

 their fruit, especially nuts or filberts, as C. a. tubulosa, 

 C. a. crispa, C. a, tenuis. In rearing a filbert tree for 

 fruit it should have but a single stem about a foot high, 

 and all suckers removed as soon as they make their 

 appearance ; six branches should form the head, and 

 the side shoots from them should be spurred like red 

 currants. As this work however does not profess to 

 treat upon fruit trees, I merely mention this to mark 

 the distinction which must result in the treatment of 

 a tree destined for the production of fruit, and not for 

 shade or shelter. 



The Elder. The elder belongs to the genus 

 Sambucus, Natural order Caprifoliacecz y and to Petan- 

 dria trigynia of the Linnaean system. The common 

 black-berried elder, . nigra or bourtree, is not 

 nearly so ornamental as vS. racemosa, generally known 

 as the scarlet-berried elder, which, when in full fruit, 

 in point of beauty, has no rival amongst deciduous 

 plants. Its panicles of fruit resemble somewhat small 

 clusters of grapes, of a bright scarlet colour, which 

 attain the height of their brilliancy early in autumn, 

 but it is shy in producing its fruit, though it constantly 

 blossoms, and it does best in those situations where 

 from lateness of season the blossom is delayed. It is 



