190 



FILBERT AND NUT, 



eighty plants are required for an acre, at eight feet 

 distances every way: at ten feet distances, four 

 hundred and thirty-five ; and at twelve feet distances, 

 three hundred and two trees will be required. 



The Kentish pruners, who, as observed before, 

 are neither botanists nor physiologists, are notwith- 

 standing well aware of the use of the male catkins, 

 rejoicing to see them in great quantity, and carefully 

 preserving them. From the greater or lesser num- 

 ber of the catkins, they usually predict what share 

 of crop will follow. 



The practical example set us by the Maidstone 

 pruners confirms two very essential principles in the 

 art of gardening, viz. that by counteracting the 

 natural tendencies of a plant, it may be dwarfed, and 

 by thus dwarfing, making it more fruitful. The 

 filbert tree is so constituted, that it is ever extending 

 itself by throwing up a multiplicity of suckers, which 

 exhaust the bearing branches and render them 

 sterile ; but denying the plant its tendency to 

 increase itself by suckers, promotes its energy to 

 increase itself by seeds. 



Filberts intended for long keeping should remain 

 on the tree till they are thoroughly ripe, which is 

 easily known by their rich brown colour. They 

 should be laid on a dry floor for a few days, and 

 afterwards stored in jars of dry sand, where they 

 will keep sound for a great length of time. 



