186 



TREATISE ON THE ..CULTURE AND 



put them into the oven when too hot, as it will make them: 

 fhrivel : and thole for fowing. mnft not be dried in this man- 

 ner, as the heat of the oven would kill the germ.. In a fine- 

 warm feafon, 1 have feeri them ripen as well and grow nearly; 

 to as large a fize as foreign ones, when the trees were healthy ; 

 but in a middling feafon they w ill do very well for fowing,. 

 or for fatting pigs and poultry-. Be careful to preferve them 

 from rats and mice, otherwife they will foon deftroy vaft 

 quantities of them. 



They may Be fown in beds of light earth in the month of 

 November, if it be a dry Autumn, drawing the drills about 

 nine inches apart, and about three deep.. Plant the Nuts 

 about an inch apart in the rows, with the points upwards,, 

 as bulbous roots are planted ; then cover them with mould,, 

 and pat it down with the back of your rake. The beds. 

 Ihould be four or five feet wide, and a little raifed towards 

 the middle, to carry off the water. There ihould be alleys 

 between the beds, about eighteen inches wide, and about two 

 or three inches deep ; thefe will receive and carry, off the 

 rain-water, which otherwife would be apt to rot the Nuts.. 

 Thus, a five-foot bed will admit of fix rows and a fmall 

 edging next the alley. If you find the mice begin to attack 

 them, the beds itiould be completely covered over with Hates, 

 flat (tones, or bricks, till the Nuts begin to fpring ; they muft 

 then be taken off. If it be a hard Winter, it will be uecef- 

 fary, before the {tones or tiles are put on, to cover the beds 

 with fome rotten dung, rotten leaves, or old tan, to preferve 

 the Nuts from the froft. If it be a mild Winter, and the 

 Nuts have becn fown in Autumn, they will begin to vegetate, 

 before Ch rift mas ; but if the Autumn be wet, I would advife 

 pot to fow them till fome time in February, or the. beginning 



of 



