Prdrtlfdl  IJinl.i  nn  Fruit  Farnihu/, 
pliinted  on  arable  land  at  a distance  of  from  12  ft.  to  13  ft. 
apart  and  produce  a j>ood  crop  in  abont  12  years.  The  tree 
lives  and  continues  to  bear  unto  a ^reat  age.  The  training  and 
pruning  aim  at  the  ])roduction  of  the  best  quality  of  nuts  and 
also  at  checking  the  tendency  to  revert  to  the  "wild  type.  A 
basin  sha])e  is  the  form_  of  a ty])ical  tree  (Fig.  5)  ; all  rank 
wood  is  cut  out ; the  nuts  are  produced  on  the  .slender  .shoots 
or  sprays.  A well-grown  tree  has  a stem  of  from  ft.  to 
2 ft.  high,  from  which  branches  are  trained  to  form  a tree  of 
from  8 ft.  to  10  ft.  in  diameter  and  a height  of  from  5 ft.  to 
()  ft.  The  tree  bears  both  male  (catkins)  and  female  blossoms, 
as  it  is  monoecious,  and  the  system  of  ])runing  is  calculated  to 
give  facility  in  fertilisation. 
Strong  .shoots  are  broken  off  in  the  summer — this  is 
technically  called  “ brutting  ” — and  all  .suckers  are  removed 
from  the  trunk  with  a shar])  hoe.  The  land  is  forked  over  in 
the  winter,  and  heavy  dre.ssings  of  shoddies,  woollen  rags,  fur 
waste,  <tc.,  are  dug  in.  The  kind  of  nuts  usually  grown  for 
market  are  Kentish  (^ob,  AVebb’s  Cob,  and  Cosberd.  Some 
of  the  nuts  are  ])icked  green,  and  the  main  crop  is  generally 
disposed  of  by  the  middle  of  October,  although  some  growers 
harvest  their  nuts  for  sale  in  the  winter.  The  yield  varies  from 
7 to  12  to  20  cwt.  ])er  acre,  and  in  some  years  the  crop  is  very 
remunerative.  AVhen  stored  the  nuts  require  turning,  other- 
wise they  get  mouldy. 
Pruning. 
Pruning  fruit  trees  is  perha])S  one  of  the  most  important 
features  in  fruit  growing.  A vast  amount  of  damage  can  be 
done  by  the  injudicious  use  of  the  knife,  and  trees  and  bushes 
are  often  robbed  of  their  early  })romi.se  and  fruitfulness  by 
neglect  and  ignorance  in  this  oj)eration.  Some  are  so  hacked 
as  to  be  almost  beyond  recognition,  whilst  others  are  left 
entirely  to  ramble  at  their  own  sweet  will,  and  resemble 
a thicket  or  an  entanglement  of  brushwood.  Years  of  growth, 
fruitfulne.ss,  and  ]>rofit  are  lost  by  incon.siderate  or  neglected 
pruning.  The  tree  remains  barren  and  .stunted,  or  produces 
only  a few  sjiecimens  of  the  most  meagre  and  wretched  quality. 
It  may  be  .said  that  more  injury  is  done  amongst  fruit  plantations 
through  incorrect  and  faulty  cutting  than  from  any  other  cause. 
It  therefore  behoves  the  fruit  grower  to  bring  all  his  skill, 
knowledg<%  and  energy  towards  the  perfection  of  this  process. 
The  true  j)rinciples  of  this  must  be  grasped  and  every  effort 
