THE HAZEL-NUT 325 



And after Phillis, Philberd 

 This tree was cleped."* 



The Constantinople nut ( Corylis colurna) is a 

 superior nut even to the best variety of the hazel. 

 Its flavour is equal, and its size is more than double. 

 It is a round nut, invested with a deep calyx, or invo- 

 lucre, which covers it almost entirely, and is very 

 much lobed and fringed at its extremity. 



L'Ecluse a distinguished gardener, brought the 

 nuts of the Corylus colurna from Constantinople, in 

 1582; and Linnaeus states, that in the Botanical 

 Garden at Leyden there was growing in 1736, a fine 

 tree of this species, planted by L'Ecluse. It was 

 cultivated in England by Ray, in 1666. This tree 

 grows naturally in the neighbourhood of Constan- 

 tinople. 



The American nut ( Corylus americana) is a beau- 

 tiful species, extensively spread over North America, 

 and which has been cultivated in the neighbourhood 

 of Paris. 



The involucra and bottoms of the nuts of all the 

 species and varieties of Corylus are extremely austere 

 and astringent when in their green state; and it is 

 doubtful whether they might not then be profitably 

 employed either in the tanning of leather, or perhaps 

 for the same purposes as galls. 



The Spanish nuts of the shops are fresh nuts from 

 Spain; the Barcelona nuts are another variety, kiln- 

 dried before exportation. 



THE CAROB-TREE ( Ceratonia siliqua) 



which grows extensively in the south of Europe, par- 

 ticularly in some provinces of Spain, of which Va- 

 lencia is the principal, bears a fruit called the carob 

 bean, which is an important article of commerce. It 



* Confessio Amantis. 

 VOL II 10* 



