THE HAZEL. 295. 
before the leaves are shed. The effect of the plant as an 
underwood is greatly enhanced, by the display of contrast, 
when it is interspersed with the box, the holly, or the yew. 
The common hazel comprehends an endless number of 
varieties, many of which are cultivated exclusively for their 
fruit, among which are the following :—Nuts or filberts, 
C. A. tubulosa, C. A. crispa, C. A. tenuis; also varieties of 
the Northampton and Barcelona nuts, great cob nut, etc. ; 
and to insure the continuance of the respective qualities for 
which these sorts are distinguished as fruit-bearing trees, 
their propagation must either be by layers or by grafts. Great 
quantities of nuts, both of the wild and cultivated kinds, 
are sold in the English markets. Besides those of British 
growth, large importations are made from France, Portugal, 
and Spain. The latter are in the highest estimation, and are 
generally sold under the name of Barcelona nuts. The follow- 
ing quotation from the Dictionary of Commerce, published in 
1834, furnishes an idea of the consumption of this article :— 
“ The entries of nuts for home consumption amount to from 
100,000 to 125,000 bushels a year; the duty of 2s. a bushel 
producing from £10,000 to £12,000 clear.” Mr. M‘Culloch 
adds, “ The kernels have a mild, farinaceous, oily taste, agree- 
able to most palates. A kind of chocolate has been prepared 
from them; and they have sometimes been made into bread. 
The expressed oil of hazel nuts is little inferior to that of 
almonds.” 
C. Colurna (L.)—The Constantinople Hazel is the only 
species of the genus which attains to the dimensions of a 
timber tree. It has been introduced into England, and culti- 
vated, but not extensively, in the neighbourhood of London, 
for 200 years. It grows to the average height of our timber 
trees. It has a white bark, horizontal branches, and is alto- 
gether handsome, and quite hardy. Although it is readily 
propagated by nuts, which it yields in favourable seasons, by 
layers, and by grafting on the common hazel, yet it has never 
become common throughout England. In Scotland it is still 
more rare. One of the best specimens of the tree near London 
