312 How to Prune the Filbert. 



which have been bedded out in the nursery for two or three 

 years. Each plant should have one strong upright shoot, 

 which after the final planting should be cut back to eighteen 

 inches ; this will admit of one foot of clear stem, above 

 which height shoots should be encouraged, to form the head. 

 Six branches will be a sufficient number. Their leaders 

 should be annually shortened, in order to make them throw 

 out laterals. They should be trained in form of a goblet, or 

 somewhat approaching thereto. This is merely a mechani- 

 cal operation. 



With regard to the management of the laterals, no precise 

 rule can be laid down. It must be varied according to the 

 nature of the soil, and the greater or less humidity of the 

 climate. If the soil is rich and moist, strong shoots, too 

 strong for any but wood-buds being formed on them, will be 

 produced. Instead of the fruitful laterals produced on the 

 Kentish soil, rod-like walking canes will be produced when 

 the plants are grown in many other parts of the kingdom. 

 They must be cut back, otherwise they would form strong 

 cross branches ; but then we must consider that each of 

 these rods, with their ample foliage, has contributed to the 

 formation of roots during the summer ; that these roots will 

 be adequate to supply nourishment in the following season 

 to all the shoots made in the present season ; but when the 

 shoots are necessarily reduced, say more than one half, either 

 by shortening or cutting out entirely, then the remaining 

 portion has more than double the quantity of roots necessary 

 for its nourishment ; and it will, in consequence, be stimu- 

 lated to grow with excessive luxuriance. There are two 

 ways by which the excessive luxuriance may be prevented 

 by pruning, namely, by summer pruning and by root pruning. 



As the roots are formed by the action of the leaves, it is 

 evident that the fewer leaves there are on a plant during the 

 summer of 1850 the less will be the quantity of roots formed 

 in that period ; and just so much diminished will be the con- 

 tributors to luxuriance for the summer of 1851. By winter 

 pruning we reduce the subjects to be fed, but not the feed- 

 ers ; but by summer pruning we proportionately reduce both, 



