HAZEL-NUT TREE. 



CORYLUS. 



CORYLIDE^E. MON(ECIA POLYANDUIA. 



French, coudrier, noisetier ; Italian, nocciolo. 



THE common Hazel, Corylus avellana, grows wild in 

 many woods and coppices in England, where the fruit 

 is gathered in great plenty by the country people, and 

 sent to the London markets. 



The trunk of the Hazel is covered with a whitish 

 cloven bark, which is smooth on the branches, frequently 

 of a bay colour, and spotted with white. The leaves are 

 alternate, serrate or wrinkled, hairy on both sides, dark 

 green above, a paler green on the under side ; on very 

 hairy round foot-stalks, about an inch long ; on the lower 

 side of the leaf is a white hairy midrib, from which pro- 

 ceed several white nerves, and between these is a kind of 

 veiny net-work. 



When this shrub is allowed time for growth, it will 

 furnish poles twenty feet in length ; but it is generally 

 cut down long before it attains that height, for walking- 

 sticks, fishing-rods, &c. The roots are used for inlaying 

 or staining. When yeast is scarce, some persons twist 

 the twigs of the Hazel, steep them in ale during its fer- 

 mentation, and hang them up to dry ; when they are put 

 into the wort, either to assist, or supply the place of, the 

 yeast. The chips are put into wine to purify it. 



There are several varieties of the Hazel, the White 





