THE FILBEKT. 259 



year to be shortened two-thirds, or more should the tree be weak, 

 and the whole height of the branches must not exceed six feet. 



•' The method of pruning above detailed might, in a few words, 

 be called a method of spurring, by which bearing shoots are pro- 

 duced, which otherwise would have had no existence. Old trees 

 are easily induced to bear in this manner, by selecting a sufficient 

 number of the main branches, and then cutting the side shoots 

 off nearly close, excepting any should be so situated as not to 

 interfere with the others, and there should be no main branch di- 

 rected to that particular part. It will, however, be two or three 

 years before the full effect will be produced. By the above 

 method of pruning, thirty hundred per acre have been grown in 

 particular grounds and in particular years, yet twenty hundred is 

 considered a large crop, and rather more than half that quantity 

 may be called a more usual one ; and even then the crop totally 

 fails three years out of five ; so that the annual average quantity 

 cannot be reckoned at more than five hundred per acre. 



" When I reflected upon the reason of failure happening so 

 often as three years out of five, it occurred to me that possibly 

 it might arise from the excessive productiveness of the other two. 

 In order to ensure fruit every year, I have usually left a large pro- 

 portion of those shoots which, from their strength, I suspected 

 would not be so productive of blossom-buds as the shorter ones ; 

 leaving them more in a state of nature than is usually done, not 

 pruning them so closely as to weaken the trees by excessive bear- 

 ing, nor leaving them so entirely to their natural growth, as to 

 cause their annual productiveness to be destroyed by a superfluity 

 of wood. These shoots, in the spring of the year, I have usually 

 shortened to a blossom-bud." 



Such is tlie management of these celebrated filbert 

 growers, their principal object being to keep the trees 

 small, open in the centre, and covered in every part witli 

 fruit spurs. A similar system, but less severe in the cut- 

 ting back, may be pursued here ; some such course of 

 treatment as recommended for the head of the quince as 

 to form and fruitfulness. 



