THE ROMANCE OF OUR TREES 



crown. The nuts of all the species are edible but in 

 the tree-species the shell is very thick. For orchard 

 culture the European C. Avellana only has so far 

 received attention. This is much grown in Italy, 

 Spain, France, and the county of Kent in England, 

 but the bulk of the nuts in commerce are shipped from 

 the Spanish port of Barcelona, hence the name Bar- 

 celona nut. This species is wild in the hedge-rows 

 and coppices of Europe, and nuts of the wild plants are 

 excellent eating and in England are much sought after 

 by country-people. According to French authori- 

 ties the nuts of Provence and Italy are preferable to 

 those of Spain and' the Levant. A number of varie- 

 ties are grown and in France the better kinds are 

 called "Avelenes." The best are known as Full- 

 beards or Filberts and Cob-nuts. The first-named 

 have a long nut enclosed within the long, tubular 

 husk which is contracted above the apex of the nut. 

 There are several forms differing in the shape of the 

 nuts and the relative length of their husks. The 

 red and white filberts are similar in external appear- 

 ance but in the former the pellicle which covers the 

 kernel is red and in the latter pale gray-brown. 

 Both are much grown in Kent, England, and are 

 esteemed because they admit of being kept fresh in 

 the husks. According to the books the filbert was 

 first known from Pontus on the Asia Minor shores of 



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