How to Prune the Filbert. 311 



whether decayed or not they are always cut out by the pruner. 

 and a fresh supply must therefore be provided to produce the 

 fruit in the succeeding year. The leading shoot is every 

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

 weak, and the whole height of the branches must not ex- 

 ceed six feet. 



" The method of pruning above detailed might, in a few 

 words, be called a method of spurring, by which bearing 

 shoots are produced, which otherwise would have had no ex- 

 istence. 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 directed 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, 

 30 cwt. per acre have been grown in particular grounds and 

 in particular years, yet 20 cwt. 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 can- 

 not be reckoned at more than 5 cwt. 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 proportion 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 bearing, 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." 



That style of pruning which is found the best for the cur- 

 rant, is also considered, in general, the best for the filbert. 

 The Maidstone growers prefer plants raised from layers, and 



