308 HOKTICULTUEAL MANUAL. 



filberts and better in quality, but in our climate it will be 

 necessary to follow nature^s methods by shading the soil 

 between the rows and providing an ample stock of fresh 

 humus in the soil. At the West, with this system, no 

 diseases or insects have as yet troubled the plant, except 

 the weevil. 



295. Propagation and Pruning. — In starting from select 

 varieties it will not be best to grow seedlings, as they vary 

 exceedingly. But seedlings may be grown and budded or 

 grafted. No plant yet tested has proven easier to bud or 

 graft than the hazel or filbert, But, like the rose, the 

 sprouts from the wild stock are apt to spring up and give 

 trouble. Hence the best plan is to grow the plants from 

 cuttings put out in the fall as soon as the leaves drop. 

 The cuttings root with about as much certainty as the 

 currant if mulched as directed in (58). 



When the plantation is established, partially or wholly 

 rooted suckers will be freely produced, with the mulching 

 system, for sale or the extension of the plantation. 



The pruning of the hazel-nut is identical with that of 

 the filbert. The catkins that appear on the new wood in 

 pairs only bear staminate flowers. The pistillate flowers 

 come from rounded buds, also on the new wood, but not 

 on the same shoot usually (Fig. 83). The pruning con- 

 sists in shortening the wood of the preceding year's growth 

 in the spring when the pistillate flowers appear. Strong 

 shoots are headed back to favor the starting of laterals for 

 next year's bearing, and the old wood that has borne nuts 

 should be cut out. This must be repeated each 

 spring. 



296. Cocoanut. — ^The cocoanut palm is one of the most 

 peculiar economic trees of the earth. Floating in ocean 

 water for months does not impair the vitality of the nut. 



