312 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



the earlier years of the plantation with Potatoes or 

 other vegetables, keeping it clear of "weeds, and 

 manuring it after the plants have occupied the 

 ground. The Kentish growers attach great im- 

 portance to the use of refuse rags for manure. But 

 farmyard or other manure is also well adapted for 

 Filberts. It is found that the crop seldom reaches 

 the same perfection on Grass as on arable land. This 

 probably arises partly from its being colder, and 

 likewise from the impoverishing effect of the Grass 

 on the root-runs of the Nuts. 



Gathering and Storing Nuts and Fil- 

 berts. — So soon as the Nuts become brown, and 

 separate readily from the husks, they are fit to eat. 

 But for long sound keeping they should be what is 

 called dead ripe before gathering. It is rather 

 difficult to keep Filberts in the husks. Still, it may 

 be done with more or less success by thoroughly 

 drying the latter, either in the sun or with sulphur 

 fumes, before packing into air-proof jars or pots. 

 The latter, if not over-done, is best, as it removes 

 all the moisture from the husks, partially bleahces 

 them, and destroys the germs of the mould, or fungi, 

 that mostly accelerates their decomposition. It is a 

 mistake to add salt, or anything else, to Filberts. 

 They keep far better without, packed closely, and 

 stored in a fairly dry store-room. Nuts out of 

 husks keep best packed in jars in a similar manner, 

 closely covered over, and buried about a foot deep in 

 dry soil. Thus stored, they retain their original 

 sweetness and moisture for many months. 



Diseases and Insects. — Properly cultivated 

 the Filbert is not subject to any disease. Occasion- 

 ally it may be met with in a jaundiced state, but 

 this results from a wet bottom, unsuitable soil, or 

 other errors of culture, rather than any fault of con- 

 stitution. Caterpillars also infest Nuts at times, 

 but these are accidental visitors rather than natural 

 to the plants. Almost the only constitutional enemy 

 is the Nut- weevil (Balaninus nucum), which plays 

 sad havoc with the crops in some localities. All 

 lovers of Nuts are more or less familiar with the 

 grub. The weevil pierces the tender shell, and 

 deposits a single egg early in the season. The 

 maggot when hatched eats up the kernel, and 

 proceeds to bore its way out. The Nuts thus pierced 

 generally fall prematurely. The injury inflicted 

 loosens their hold on the trees, and if the latter are 

 sharply shaken early in August, nearly the whole of 

 the maggoty Nuts will fall, and can be collected and 

 burned. 



Varieties.— Fortunately the finest cultivated 

 sorts of Nuts and Filberts are not very numerous. 



Atlas, or Downton— this is 

 generally known as the 

 Algerian Nut, C. Algieri- 

 ensis ; husks longer than 

 the Nut, large kernel of 

 excellent flavour 



Lambert's Filbert (C. tu- 

 bulosa) — very long husk, 

 Nut very long and wide, 

 one of the very best. 

 There is a white variety 

 of this equally as good as 

 the type, which is one of 

 the best Filberts in cul- 

 tivation. 



White Filbert. 



Bed Filbert. 



Purple Filbert. 



(These three are classed to- 

 gether, and are without 

 doubt three of the very 

 finest Filberts in culti- 

 vation. ) 



The Purple Filbert is largely 

 grown at times as an 

 ornamental shrub ; its 

 leaves and richly-coloured 

 husks being quite as use- 

 ful as the Purple Beech to 

 contrast with the verdure 

 of other plants. This Fil- 

 bert is also most useful in 

 forming a highly orna- 

 mental dish on the dinner 

 table. 



Frizzled Filbert — husk 

 double the length of the 

 Nut, late and fine. 



Loddige's Barcelona — husk 

 very large, almost double 

 the length of the Nut, 

 early, but rather small. 



Merveille de Bollwyller— 

 husk longer than" Nut ; 

 large Nut, and kernel of 

 excellent quality. 



The Shah — strong resem- 

 blance to the Frizzled Fil- 

 bert, deeply and roughly 

 cut, excellent qualitv. 



Great Cob (Prolific Cob)— 



one of the best Nuts, and 

 most prolific bearer. 



Cosford, or Thin-shelled— 

 husk short, deeply cut, 

 shell so thin as to be 

 easily broken between 

 finger and thumb, kernel 

 sweet and large. 



Duke of Edinburgh— rather 

 a new Nut, raised and in- 

 troduced, as were the next 

 and several others, by Mr. 

 Webb, of Calcot, near 

 Beading, a specialist in 

 Nut-culture ; husk deeply 

 and coarsely fringed, Nut 

 large, shell thin, quality 

 first-rate. 



Daviana, or Duchess of 

 Edinburgh — husk slightly 

 longer than Nut, shell thin 

 kernel large, of excellent 

 flavour. Probably seed- 

 lings from the Cosford. 



Eugenie is another enor- 

 mously large fine Nut, of 

 similar qualitv of shelL 

 and excellent flavour. 



Norwich Prolific— an excel- 

 lent thin - shelled Nut, 

 raised by the Messrs. 

 E wing, of Norwich ; the 

 Nuts, which are large and 

 of squarish shape, are said 

 to have the flavour of 

 Almonds. 



Pearson's Prolific — this is a 

 Nut of quite a different 

 quality, long, of dwarf 

 habit, very prolific, the 

 shell thick, with a full- 

 sized kernel. 



Bed Barcelona, or St. Gre- 

 sier — this is one of the 

 finest-flavoured of all Nuts 

 and grows in large clus- 

 ters. 



Bond Nut— very prolific, not 

 a long keeper, grows in 

 clusters, Nut oblong, shell 

 thin, medium quality. 



This list includes all the best Nuts in cultivation. 

 But those with limited space hardly need to go 

 beyond the "White and Purple Filbert, the Cosford, 

 and Cob, for a good supply throughout the year. 



THE WALXTJT. 

 There are several species of this well-known 

 and useful genus, such as the Grey Walnut, or 

 Juglans c'uierea, the well-known Butter-nut ; and the 

 Black Walnut, or J. nigra, the large nuts of which 

 are too oily and strong for our taste. Both of these 

 form useful ornamental trees, but are not grown for 

 their nuts in our climate. The latter are the 

 products of the species regia, of which there are 

 numerous varieties, differing widely in foliage, as 

 well as the size, form, thickness of shells, and quality 

 of their nuts. Some of these varieties, such as J. r. 

 elongata, have long been so popular for the size 

 and quality of their very long nuts as to be almost 

 ranked as distinct species. Another, much valued 

 for its deeply-cut leaves, known as the r. laciniata, 

 has nuts of very fair quality as well. The so-called 



