382 
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTTTRAL SOCIETY. 
In the variety Corylus purpurea the leaves, as also the 
pellicle of the kernel and the husk of the nut, are purple ; and 
in Corylus lieteropliylla they are thickly clothed with hairs. 
The Hazel is commonly found in hedges and coppices, and as 
an undergrowth in woods, and reaches a height of some 12 feet 
or so, but occasionally it is much taller. 
Its Uses. 
The wood of the Hazel is whitish-red, close in texture, and 
pliant, and has, when dry, a weight of 49 lb. per cubic foot ; it 
has been used in cabinet-making and for toys and turned articles. 
Curiously veined veneers are obtained from the roots ; and the 
root-shoots are largely employed in the making of crates, coal- 
baskets, hurdles, withes and bands, whip-handles, and other 
articles. The rods are reputed to be most durable when from 
the driest ground, and to be especially good where the bottom is 
chalky. The light charcoal afforded by the Hazel does well for 
crayons, and is valued by gunpowder manufacturers. The Hazel 
makes an excellent hedge, and would no doubt be oftener em- 
ployed for this purpose were it not for the nut-gatherers, who, in 
their active vigour to secure if only an unripe nut, will break it 
down and cause much damage. It makes excellent cover for 
birds, and in the autumn the rich yellow tint acquired by the 
leaves adds greatly to the beauty of landscapes. 
Keller, in his "Lake Dwellings," tells us that Hazel nuts 
formed part of the food of the ancient lake-dwellers of Switzer- 
land and other countries of Europe. By the Eomans they were 
sometimes eaten roasted. 
A belief in the efficacy of divining-rods of Hazel for the 
discovery of concealed objects is probably of remote origin. 
Rods of Hazel were considered serviceable for finding silver 
lodes and water. The virtue of the Hazel wand was and still is 
supposed to be dependent on its having two forks ; these are to 
1)0 grasped in the hands, with the fingers uppermost, but with 
moderate firmness only. This rod in proper hands is believed 
to indicate where springs of water are to be found. 
Mr. P>. Tomkins, of Cliippcnliam, who has boon largely 
ciiiploycid as a water-find(!r, lias published a little work on the 
theory of water-finding by the; divining rod. 
