170 THE OECHAED AIS^D PETJIT GAEDEIS". 



ot February is a good time for pruning, as by then the 

 blossom shows itself; the female has a pretty little 

 pink brush, and the male has the well-known catkin ; 

 as much as compatible with due thinning out, avoid 

 cutting away the bloom, especially the female. Filberts 

 will often have a good show of female blossom, and 

 scarcely any catkins : in this case there will be no 

 fruit unless catkins can be brought at the time the 

 farina is about to shed, and branches with them tied 

 to the trees amongst the flowers. Catkins from wild 

 nuts will do. 



After the winter pruning, nut trees require little ex- 

 cept the removal of the suckers, and letting light into 

 the centres, by cutting out ill-placed, watery growth. 

 Those intended for dwarf growth should be watched, kept 

 within bounds, and trained to a compact, good shape. 



Nuts, to keep well, should be thoroughly ripe before 

 they are gathered, and well dried before they are stored. 

 After they are gathered, lay them in heaps, or put them 

 in hampers, let them sweat for a week, and then expose 

 them to sun and air for another week. After this they 

 may be simply packed in stone jars, left open for a 

 fortnight, examined to see if they sweat again, allowed 

 to get perfectly dry in the jars, and then covered down. 

 Any damp about them will turn them musty, and spoil 

 them entirely, so of course they must be stored in 

 a cool, dry place. To impart a fresh-looking colour to 

 the husks, some persons sulphur them, placing them in 

 a close vessel, with a pan of sulphur smouldered under 

 them ; but they eat better without this treatment. Lam- 

 bert s Filbert is the best kind for keeping a very long 

 time, and next to that comes the Frizzled Cob. 



Walnut trees may be purchased for Is, 6d. each, 

 and those who have plenty of room to spare, and years 

 of possession of land before them, will be repaid for 

 planting. They thrive in a deep, loamy soil. The 

 large French Walnut, Noyfir a Bijou, is handsome, and 

 good in flavour. The Noyer de St. Jean has the advan- 

 tage in our climate of blossoming after the spring 

 frosts ; but the Dwarf Prolific Walnut, Juglans prcepar- 



