By the Rev. George Swayne. 313 



it is more than double the annual average quantity which the 

 Rev. Mr. Williamson, in his valuable Paper on Filberts,* 

 allows the Kentish orchards to produce. That is, supposing 

 the trees in those orchards to stand six feet apart, or to oc- 

 cupy thirty-six square feet of surface each, which as they 

 are not suffered to grow more than six feet in height, I should 

 suppose to be a proper distance^ 



On the 28th of the November following (1820), taking a 

 view of my Filbert trees, I observed so large a quantity of 

 young catkins on them as induced me to count the number 

 on two of the boughs, from whence I computed that on the 

 whole of them there could not be fewer than one thousand 

 five hundred. As I had never remarked so large a quantity 

 on them before, I concluded, that, from some cause or other, 

 their constitution was altered ; and that in future they would 

 have no need of extrinsic assistance. But again making them 

 a visit in the beginning of the succeeding February (1821) I 

 found that more than three-fourths of the catkins had va- 

 nished. Still, I supposed, there might remain sufficient for 

 the purpose of fertilization. But whether so, or not, I had 

 determined to leave my trees the next season to their own 

 exertions. In the summer I repeated my order, that my 

 Filberts were not to be touched, which I might as well have 

 omitted, as there happened to be very little temptation. In 

 the beginning of September (1821) I picked, I believe, every 



* See Horticultural Transactions, Vol. iv. page 145. 



f Mr. Williamson, whose trees are allowed to grow more in a natural state, 

 has fifty-seven trees, on three hundred and sixty square yards of ground (see Hor- 

 ticultural Transactions, Vol. iv. page 151) ; these I calculate, therefore, to stand 

 about seven feet apart. 



