CHAPTER III 



HAZELS 



HAZELS belong to a very ancient family, and some 

 of the fossil hazel leaves are hardly to be distin- 

 guished from those of species which are living to- 

 day. The American hazels comprise two species, 

 Corylus americana and Corylus cornuta the latter 

 being called the "horn hazel," "beak hazel/' "tail 

 hazel," and other names referring to the shape of 

 the involucre, which extends out into a prolongation 

 beyond the apex of the nut. The quality of the 

 kernel is inferior to that of the common American 

 hazel. This latter species constitutes almost a weed 

 and a nuisance in miles of old pasture, bearing a nut 

 of good quality as a rule, but seldom large enough 

 to be of value in the market. The shell is for the 

 most part too thick to please any connoisseurs aside 

 from jays, boys, and squirrels. Doubtless a number 

 of thin-shelled, large-meated American hazels will 

 be found eventually and I have two varieties which 

 are being cultivated experimentally, because they are 

 superior to the common hazel crowd out in the 

 pasture. 



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