188 



FILBERT AND NUT. 



than three feet in height, this being necessary in 

 order to the future form of the head ; and this, early 

 in the spring, after the trees have been put out in 

 their final stations, is cut down to about eighteen 

 inches from the ground. This height will admit of 

 a clear stem of twelve inches below, and which part 

 must be at first and ever afterwards kept free from 

 shoots, as well as suckers from the root. This 

 deprivation of shoots and suckers will cause the buds 

 left at the top to push with greater vigour. If eight 

 strong shoots be produced in the first summer, they 

 must be carefully preserved, as that number is re- 

 quired to form the head ; but if less than this number 

 come forth, then two or three of the strongest (or 

 the whole if necessary) must be shortened back to 

 half their length at the next pruning, in order to 

 obtain the requisite number. 



The sufficient number of branches being obtained, 

 if not in the first, certainly after the second prun- 

 ing, they are to be carefully preserved and trained 

 outwards and upwards ; at first nearly horizontal, 

 but curving gradually upward at the point. The 

 easiest mode of doing this is by using a hoop of the 

 proper size placed within the shoots, and to which 

 the latter are tied in star-like order, and at equal 

 twelve-inch distances. Such a laterally curving 

 position may be much assisted and caused by a care- 

 ful pruner, always cutting at an oz^/52f/e bud, which, 

 when grown sufficiently far outwards, naturally turn 

 up to form the permanent branches. 



The points of the branches are allowed to rise to 



