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Several kinds of earth nuts are grown notably a white and a 

 red one. They present somewhat the appearance of a large kind of 

 clover. The white nut has a more spreading habit of growth than 

 the red, is said to be more prolific, and is later in coming to 

 maturity ; the red is earlier, and yields fewer imperfect pods or 

 " pops." The colour of the skin of the kernel differentiates these 

 two varieties. 



The land is prepared by deep ploughing, and the distance 

 between the rows generally set at 3 feet apart. Selected kernels 

 are used for seeds. These are slightly cracked, and set along the 

 rows at intervals of two feet, two together, and covered about an 

 inch deep. It takes 30 to 501 bs. of earth nuts to plant an acre. 

 Weeds are kept down and the surface prevented from setting hard. 

 Cultivation ceases when the flowering organs have penetrated the 

 soil and when the vines have spread sufficiently to keep down the 

 weeds. 



The crop should be harvested before the first frost. For that 

 purpose the tap-roots of the plants are cut deeply with the hoe, or, 

 if the field be large, a plough with the mould board removed and 

 with a " sword " or long-cutting flange welded to the point is run 

 down each side of the row. The plough is run deep enough to cut 

 the tap-root without disturbing the pods. Some dig the plant up 

 by the aid of a close-pronged fork, and the root portion, with the 

 pods adhering, is exposed to the sun to dry. When wilted, the earth 

 is shaken off the roots of the plants, which are loosely stacked 

 round a pole six or seven feet high, in small stacks which will not 

 heat. After a few weeks the nuts may be picked off the vines and 

 stored in a dry and well-aired place, prior to being screened and 

 sorted for marketing. Where the dry vines are not consumed by 

 stock they should be returned to the ground. 



The green and unripe pods are less oily than the ripe ones, 

 and more easily digested; they are pleasant eating when roasted. 



An average yield is about lOcwt. per acre, or about 50 bushels 

 weighing 25 to 301bs. according to the plumpness of the kernel. 

 The wholesale market value runs from 2Jd. to 3d. per Ib. 



THE FILBERT AND COB-NUTS (Corylus Avellana). 



These nuts are improved varieties of the common hazel nut of 

 the woods of Europe. These small nuts have not been sufficiently 

 grown yet in Western Australia to ascertain what measure of success 

 their cultivation promises. In California, which in so many respects 

 may be compared to Western Australia, their bearing has 

 not been satisfactory, except in the cooler and moister situations. 

 It would seem, therefore, that the localities best suited to the 

 filbert and cob-nut in this State, would be the moister and 

 cooler Southern districts. The soil must not be water-logged, but 

 moist. The plants may be set at distances 10 to 14 feet apart. 

 Propagation from nuts does not produce reliable varieties, and for 

 that reason layers made in the spring are preferred, shoots two or 

 three years old being simply notched with the knife, and pegged 





