382 



THE PRACTICE OF PEUNINGf". 



and during the period in wliioh the fruit is ripening, one or more of the 

 lateral buds shoots, and is subsequently subjected to the same treatment, 

 with the same result. When I have suffered such shoots to extend freely 

 to their natural length, I have 

 found that a small part of them 

 only became productive, either in 

 the same or the ensuing season, 

 though I have seen that their 

 buds obviously contained blossoms. I made 

 several experiments to obtain fruit in the 

 following spring from other parts of such 

 branches, which were not successful : but 

 I ultimately found that bending these 

 branches, as far as could be done without 

 danger of breaking them, rendered them 

 extremely fruitful; and, in the present 

 spring, thirteen Figs ripened perfectly 

 upon a branch of this kind within the space 

 of ten inches. In training, the ends of all 

 the shoots have been made, as far as prac- 

 ticable, to point downwards." — Sort. 

 Trans., iv. 201. 



The Pilbeet-ieee. 



The Filbert-tree is one of those which 

 does not contain all the parts necessary for 

 the production of fruit in the same bud. 

 Some buds develope only the male parts, 

 and others only the female ; the former are 

 comprised in those pendant yellow catkins, 

 easily recognised in the end of winter and 

 early spring. The female portions are less 

 conspicuous, all that appears of them are 

 some slender, deep crimson stigmas, pro- 

 truding beyond the apex of the buds, as 

 represented at 6, 6. On these, fertilising 

 particles from the catkins either fall natu - 

 rally, or are otherwise brought in contact 

 with them whilst being blown about by 

 the winds ; and fruitftjlness is the result. 

 If, on the contrary, there are no catkins, or if they are prematurely cut away 

 in pruning, there can be no fruit. Pruning should not be commenced tiU 

 after the appearance of the crimson stigmas at the apex of such buds as 1 1, 



Fig. LXXV.— Branch of the FUbert. 

 a, a, a, wood-buds ; h, b, blossom-buds. 



