256 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



tremity, may be left unpruned; but laterals that 

 have borne should be cut back to two eyes, or 

 within J inch of the branch from which they 

 proceed. 



Gathering and Storing. — Nuts may be gathered 

 for immediate use when the husks become brown; 

 but for keeping, they should remain till ready to 

 drop from the tree, and then be gathered when 

 perfectly dry. The Red and White Filberts are 



the sorts best adapted for keeping in the husk. 

 The base of the latter is succulent, and must 

 be thoroughly dried before the nuts are packed 

 for keeping. When the husks become dry, they 

 are exposed by dealers to the fumes of sulphur, 

 which doubtless prevent them from becoming 

 mouldy. Others, when the husks are dry, pack 

 the nuts in dry-ware casks, or in new flower- 

 pots, with a sprinkling of salt, which also pre- 



Fig. 1042— a, 'Webb's Prize Cob Filbert, b, Spanish Prize Filbert, c, Downton Large Square (Atlas) Nut. 



vents mouldiness; others again put them in jars, 

 and strew a layer of salt 1 inch thick over them 

 before covering up. In all cases, when packed, 

 they should be kept in a cool, dry situation, 

 with a steady temperature. 



Propagation. — The Hazel-nut may be propa- 

 gated by seeds, layers, suckers, or grafts. The 

 nuts should be gathered when ripe, and allowed 

 to dry until they drop out of the husk or can 

 be readily taken out. They should then be 

 kept in sand, and sown in October in rich light 

 soil. Though this mode may be adopted on a 

 large scale, yet, as the nuts, when so treated, 

 are liable to be attacked by mice, it is generally 

 better to stratify the nuts, and plant out in 

 nursery rows in spring. Plants raised from the 

 nuts of good varieties are rarely so good as 

 their parents, but answer well for planting in 

 woods for rods, hoops, and other purposes; or 

 rhey may be reared with single stems, and 

 grafted with any of the improved sorts. 



Layering should be performed in autumn, or 

 at any time before spring that the weather may 

 permit. The layers will generally be fit for 

 taking up and planting in nursery rows, 3 feet 

 apart and 1 foot asunder in the row. Some 

 prefer plants from layers to those raised by any 

 other mode. 



Propagation by suckers is the mode usually 

 adopted in Kent, where they are generally taken 

 from the parent plant in autumn, shortened to 

 10 or 12 inches, and planted in nursery rows, 

 where they remain three or four years. 



Propagation by grafting is not the usual mode, 

 but it may be very advantageously employed in 

 some cases. The grafts take readily, and if a 

 strong -growing sort be grafted on one that is 

 less vigorous, fruitfulness will be induced, and 

 over-luxuriance checked. Whip-grafting is the 

 best mode, and the operation should be per- 

 formed in February or March. 



Diseases and Insects. — The tree is rarely at- 



