THE HAZEL. 



149 



but soon the summit opens and exposes an in- 

 tensely bright crimson surface, which expands 

 at first into a deep cup, and finally into a spread- 

 ing bowl, as large over as a crown-piece. When 

 in this state, if they are touched while the sun is 

 shining warmly, they will sometimes send up a 

 fine jet of smoke, at least so it is in appearance, 

 but so rapid is this process, that before one has 

 had time to discover from what part of the sur- 

 face the puff* proceeded, it has vanished, and not 

 a pore, as large even as the point of a needle, can 

 be detected. The particles of which this appa- 

 rent smoke is composed are, undoubtedly, seeds; 

 but how infinitely minute, and yet how incalculably 

 numerous must they be, that they should vanish 

 from the sight too rapidly for the eye to follow 

 them, and yet exist in such numbers as to be 

 visible at all ! 



The principal varieties of Hazel cultivated in 

 Great Britain are the Filbert and Cob-nut ; the 

 former of which is distinguished by its ample 

 husk, which entirely conceals the nut, the latter 

 by its larger size. In mode of growth and cha- 

 racter of foliage, neither of these differs materially 

 from the Common Hazel. The name Filbert, is 

 supposed to be a corruption oi full heard, from the 

 lengthened appendage to the nut, an etymology, 

 which, unsatisfactory as it is, is the only plausible 

 one which has been given. Considerable skill is 

 requisite in the cultivation of the Filbert, in order 

 to ensure an abundant crop. In the neighbour- 

 hood of Maidstone, in Kent, where they are grown 

 in greater abundance and perfection than any- 

 where else in England, the trees are trained 

 with short stems, like gooseberry-bushes, and are 



