Pruning. 107 



At any rate, both the hazel and filbert are worth cultivating for their 

 beaut}', even though they never produced a nut. The male flowers, 

 which are disposed in catkins, bloom early in spring, and, when waving 

 gracefully in the wind, give the bush a very attractive appearance. 

 The fertile flowers, though inconspicuous, consisting only of a little 

 cluster of scarlet pistils, possess a beauty worth searching for by all 

 lovers of nature ; and when the nuts are grown, we know of nothing 

 prettier than the variously cut involucrum in which they are enclosed. 



The chincapin, or dwarf chestnut, is even less known here than the 

 filbert ; but we remember, in our youth, a jDlant in the garden with its 

 husks opening and showing its pretty, glossy nuts, of which only one is 

 borne in a husk. It produces nuts when only five or six feet high. 

 The foliage and flowers, though smaller than those of the chestnut, are 

 vet so beautiful, that the tree is worth planting for these alone ; and, as 

 well as the hazel nut, is probably susceptible of improvement by selec- 

 tion of seed from the best varieties. We hope that if none of the eastern 

 cultivators are disposed to attempt it, our western friends, who are now 

 so enthusiastic in regard to forest tree planting, will take the matter in 

 hand, and we have no doubt of their producing most valuable results. 



We do not suppose that in these few notes we have told our readers 

 much that is new ; indeed, we do not think there is a great deal known 

 on the subject ; and if any one can add anything to what we have said, 

 we shall be glad to hear from him. 



PRUNING. 



By George Jaques, Worcester, Mass. 



The importance of the assertion may justify the repetition here, that 

 an immense amount of pruning is done in this country every year, at 

 improper seasons, without definite purpose, and in such a bungling 

 manner, as to result in a positive injury, rather than a benefit to the 

 subjects operated upon. 



Were they properly attended to, froin and after their first year's 

 growth, trees and slirubs would rarely need any cutting that a common 

 pocket-knife is not strong enough to perform. It arises almost alto- 

 gether from long-continued neglect that the greater part of the work in 

 question belongs, and seems likely to continue to belong, to what may 

 be styled the system of heavy pruning^ in contradistinction from those 

 lighter and neater styles of operating which the science of arboriculture 



