96 
four hundred and thirty-five ; and at twelve feet distances, three 
hundred and two trees will be required.” 
134 Filberts; Early pruning. “It may be matter of wonder, 
but so it happens, that the generality of gardeners know little 
or nothing about pruning Filbert Trees. The art has never been 
studied either by masters or men ; and it is remarkable, that 
this branch of the pruner’s art should have been brought to 
perfection by the untaught, unlettered Kentish peasant — with- 
out books — without master, save experience — without mistress, 
save Nature herself! It is curious too, that this art has been 
engrossed by the labourers in the central parts of the county, 
and without its being followed in other parts of the kingdom. 
The principle of the Kentish primers appears to be this : to 
check and control the natural grow th, and thereby bring forth 
the fruit-bearing principle in greater force and energy. After 
training the tree to a dw arfed habit, they allow it to expend its 
strength in no other way than in the production of flowers and 
fruit. The Filbert is naturally only a shrub, or small tree, and 
the cultivator makes it still less, for his convenience in pruning 
and gathering the fruit. That style of pruning which is found 
the best for the currant, is also the best for the Filbert. Each 
plant should have one strong upright shoot, of not less than 
three feet in height, this being necessary in order to the future 
form of the head ; and this, early in the spring, after the trees 
have been put out in their final stations, is cut down to about 
eighteen inches from the ground. This height w ill admit of a 
'clear stem of twelve inches below, and which part must be at 
first and ever afterwards kept free from shoots, as well as suckers 
from the root. This deprivation of shoots and suckers will 
cause the buds left at the top to push with greater vigour. If 
eight strong shoots be produced in the first summer, they must 
be carefully preserved, as that number is required to form the 
head ; but if less than this number come forth, then two or three 
of the strongest (or the whole if necessary) must be shortened 
back to half their length at the next pruning, in order to obtain 
the requisite number. The sufficient number of branches being- 
obtained, if not in the first, certainly after the second pruning, 
they are to be carefully preserved and trained outwards and 
upwards ; at first nearly horizontal, but curving gradually up- 
ward at the point. The easiest mode of doing this is by using 
