On the Fertilization of the Female Blossoms of Filberts. 311 



the male flowers of the wild Hazel, from the neighbouring 

 lanes and hedges, in most cases within the distance of a 

 single English mile, the Filbert trees in our gardens and 

 orchards may be made to produce much more fruit than 

 they commonly do. 



When I first came to reside at Dyrham, ( which was in 

 the year 1806), I found two young Filbert plants, about 

 three or four years old (from suckers) or probably more, 

 growing in a situation which I did not approve of, and caused 

 them to be removed and planted in a corner of a small 

 garden, on a ditch bank which parted my neighbour's pre- 

 mises from mine. Here they were suffered to grow in their 

 own way, with no cultivation, and scarcely any attention be- 

 stowed on them. As after many years they had borne none, 

 or but little fruit, so little or none seemed to be expected 

 from them; but casually passing by them in the second 

 week in February in the year 1820, I was rather surprised 

 to see a considerable number of scarlet blossoms thereon, 

 in a state of expansion* but at the same time very few cat- 

 kins, and those few seemed to be in a very imperfect state, 

 not a single one being nearly prepared to discharge its 

 farina. It immediately struck me that the sterility of my 

 Filberts hitherto had been occasioned by a deficiency of 

 male blossoms. At the same time it occurred to me, that 

 the only probable remedy for the present deficiency, as the 

 female blossoms seemed to be already prepared for male 



* There had been, immediately preceding, a fortnight or three weeks of very 

 fine and remarkably warm weather for the season, which had undoubtedly caused 

 these blossoms to expand before their usual time, which commonly does not happen 

 before the latter end of the month. 



VOL. V. S S 



