198 MY GARDEN. 



blossom is a catkin and the female a little red flower. They bear no 

 spurs like currant-trees, and in Kent the bushes are carefully thinned, 

 so that light and air are admitted to every branch, but the little bearing 

 spurs are carefully preserved. Varieties which are called nuts have their 

 husk as long as, or not longer than, the enclosed nut ; filberts have their 

 husk longer than the nut. It is desirable to have trees of all the 

 sorts which ' are here mentioned, but I am uncertain how far other new- 

 varieties can be commended. 



WALNUTS. 



Our district has been celebrated for its Walnuts {Juglans regia, fig. 



374) for many years. Carshalton Park abounds in fine walnut-trees. 

 Beddington Park and its estate had several, but many of 

 these have been cut down recently. We have one large 

 walnut-tree, and also small trees of the ' Dwarf Prolific, 

 but they grow too rapidly with us to get much produce 

 every year, and besides we suffer from spring frosts. Walnuts 

 are mostly raised from seed, but superior varieties are 

 multiplied by inarching. There is one kind, called the 



Walnut of St. Jean, that does not put forth its leaves till June, 



and thus escapes all spring frosts. 



CHESTNUTS. 



We only grow one Sweet Chestnut-tree {Castanea vesca, fig. 375). nor 



do I know of many trees in the district. There 



is a considerable difference in the fertility of 



varieties, and also in the quality of their 



produce. They do not every year come to 



perfection in this country. The Devonshire 



Fig. 375.-swect Chestnut, \ diam. Prolific and Downton are reputed the best kinds. 



Chestnut-trees are largely grown in Italy, and the rotten wood is 



used exclusively in the South of France and in Italy as a material in 



which the camellia^ azalea, and rhododendron are grown. 



