The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
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1 jjJ 
Growing Filberts in New York State 
S IX miles north of Rochester, N. Y.. there is a 
nursery unlike any other in New York State, 
anti perhaps unlike any other throughout the 
Eastern States. This is the three-acre filbert planta¬ 
tion belonging to McGlennon & Yollertson, where 
filbert nuts are harvested and new shrubs grown 
from cuttings. The filbert, or hazelnut, as it is 
popularly known, is grown extensively throughout 
the Pacific States, but most attempts to grow it in 
the East have proven unsuccessful, due to disease. 
In the nursery described numerous varieties were 
imported from Germany and France about 10 years 
ago. and these varieties have been tested out. Late 
importations have been denied entrance, due to the 
rigid restrictions of the Federal quarantine act. 
The shrubs arc set 15 ft. apart each way. and the 
crop of nuts is harvested annually, beginning the 
second year. This year 350 lbs. of nuts were sold 
at 75 cents a pound, this being an average of a little 
over 2 lbs. per plant. The varieties differ in size 
and shape, as shown by the specimens shown in Fig. 
585, each being a different variety. The large pointed 
varieties are not as productive as some of the smaller 
sorts. No. 1 (Fig. 585) has proven to be the best 
quality and the most productive. It is necessary to 
plant a number of varieties together, as the flowers 
must be cross-pollinated to produce fruit. For this 
reason the poor sorts are still being used as well as 
the good varieties. About 10 varieties per acre are 
recommended to give sullieient pollination, and the 
various types are mixed throughout the plantation. 
Besides the nut crop, young plants are grown from 
cuttings for sale. About the first of June the outer 
branches on the shrubs are bent to the ground and 
pinned with wire arches. These arches are about 
9 in. high and hold the limbs solidly, flat on the 
ground. Then a mulch is placed over these limbs, 
either horse manure or old straw being 
than one variety should be planted when fruit is 
desired. The plantation described is to be enlarged 
to 10 acres during the coming season, so the filbert 
Group of Filbert s. Fig. 5S5 
production, especially the cuttings, seems to be on a 
paying basis. t. h. townsend. 
Cheesecloth For Protecting Straw¬ 
berries 
I have one-half acre of early strawberries in ground 
where frost strikes every Spring. I would like to cover 
them next Spring, bur am in doubt what to use. I have 
tried hay twice last year, and the frost killed them after 
“On May 22 an examination of the blossoms was 
made to ascertain the extent of the injury by frost. 
The results are shown in the following table : 
Variety 
Buds 
examined 
Buds 
injured 
Buds 
uninjured 
Percentage 
of btids 
injured 
Wilson, shaded. 
03 
8 
85 
8.0 
Wilson, not shaded.... 
00 
70 
20 
80. 
HavrrlamJ, sluided. 
154 
10 
144 
G.5 
llaverland. nut shaded. 
143 
127 
15 
89.4 
‘From these data it appears that out of a total of 
241 blossoms examined in the check 206, or 85 per cent, 
were injured, while among 247 under the cover only 
18. or 7 per cent, were injured. 
“Only two observations were made on the effect of 
shade on temperature at the rime of a frost. On May 
14. at 5:10 a. m., a thermometer in the cheek registered 
30.5 degrees, and one under the cover showed 33 de¬ 
grees. On the following morning at 4:20 the tempera¬ 
ture in the check was 28 degrees ami under the cover 
33 degrees." 
The shading had some slight effect in increasing 
the yield in most cases, although not enough by any 
means to offset the cost. The appearance of the 
berries was improved by the shading, and Mr. O. M. 
Taylor, who conducted the experiment, says that the 
shading introduces something like hothouse condi¬ 
tions. and is therefore adapted more particularly 
for the growing of fancy and exhibition fruit. 
Acid Phosphate With Manure 
Is it true that 40 lbs. of acid phosphate mixed with 
a ton of barnyard manure will double its value? Should 
phosphate he put on same rime as manure? We are 
now manuring sod ground tha t will go in corn in the 
coming Spring. When should phosphate be put on this 
field for best results? I would consider the method 
best that would bring not only the best crop, but also 
leave soil in best condition, and keep it in cool weather 
without spoiling. C. b. m. 
Big Pool. Md. 
I T cannot be said that the addition of the phos¬ 
phate will always double the value of the manure, 
but in some cases it certainly will. On soils that 
have become exhausted through long cropping to 
grains, or where live stock has been fed and shipped 
for many years, the phosphate will 
used. By Fall the limbs will have 
rooted at each joint and a number of 
young plants or cuttings will be ready 
for transplanting. (.See Fig. 584.) 
In the Fall the mulch is pulled apart 
and the cuttings are removed, at times 
as many as 25 being found on a single 
large branch. The young plants are 
set in rows between the parent plants, 
leaving about a foot between the in¬ 
give great results. This is because 
such crops as grain and live stock 
carry away large quantities of phos¬ 
phorus. while nothing is brought back. 
On farms where all hay and grain are 
fed and all manure saved, the phos¬ 
phate will not give such evident re¬ 
sults. You can hardly find a farm to¬ 
day east of the Mississippi which does 
not show a lack of phosphorus, unless 
dividual plants. (See Fig. 5*7 I. When 
the work is not completed in the Fall 
Strmrberrg Shading Experiment. Fig. 5S6 
phosphates have been used freely. 
Thus, while the use of acid phosphate 
it is continued in the Spring until all the cuttings are 
set out. They are cultivated until Fall, and then 
dug and sold. All the year-old trees are sold on 
taking it off. I had thought of cheesecloth, but was in 
doubt whether it had body enough. Will you suggest 
something that would be suitable? r, a. e. 
New Jersey. 
may not. in all cases, double the value of manure, it 
will always make it more useful, and the plan is, on 
the whole, one of the best that can be followed. 
contract before they are dug. an Eastern nurseryman 
purchasing the entire supply. Of the varieties im¬ 
ported those from France have not done as well as 
the German varieties. 
W E have found coarse manure or cornstalks 
heavily put on a good help in keeping the 
plants back. In many cases, however, the plants will 
push up through the mulch ahead of time and thus 
We should use the phosphate right with the ma¬ 
nure. No better time can be found than when the 
manure is first made. Scatter the phosphate in the 
Bird houses are mounted on posts throughout the 
liaising Nut Trees. Fig. 58 ?/ 
entire three acres of shrubs, and the birds are en¬ 
couraged to spend the season here. They destroy 
the caterpillars and other insect pests, and save the 
nurseryman the trouble of combating them. The 
filberts are sold throughout the East for both orna¬ 
mental planting and for fruiting purposes. More 
take a chance on an extra cold night. 
Regarding the cheesecloth, this plan was tried by 
the New York Experiment Station at Geneva some 
years ago. Bulletin No. 24U, published in February. 
1904. gives the result of this experiment. The 
cheesecloth was put over the berry plants in the 
manner pictured at Fig. 580. the picture being taken 
from the bulletin. The material used was thin 
cheesecloth, known as Bombay. The strips were 
sewn together into one piece large enough to cover 
the crop for about 2 ft. around the four sides of 
the bed. A strong cord was hemmed in the margin 
on the four sides, and small rings were sewn at 
intervals of 3 ft. Stakes to support the cover were 
placed 3 ft. apart around the outside of the bed. To 
support the canvas stakes were driven 10 ft. apart 
in every other row. The tops of these stakes were 
padded to prevent wearing holes in the cloth. All 
stakes were 2V> ft. long and driven 10 in. into the 
ground, thus leaving the cloth covering 20 in. above 
ground. At that time the cost of shading an acre in 
this way was estimated f<> be about $350; the eost at 
this time would be considerably more than that. 
As for the effect of this shading upon frost protec¬ 
tion. the following extract is made from the bulletin : 
“One noteworthy merit of the practice of shading is 
the protection it affords against frosts. Observations 
were made on this point in 1902. That year heavy 
frosts occurred the nights of May 9 and 10. with light 
frosts for two or three nights thereafter. When tin 
frost came the clusters of buds were just showing. Oi 
May 13 the foliage under the doth was of a healthy 
green, and was uninjured by frost, while many leaves 
in the check were killed and many more injureu. 
Twelve buds in as many clusters in each of the varieties 
in the open were examined, and all found to be injured. 
Tinder the cover no llaverland, five out of 12 Wilson 
and 10 out of 12 Jessie were injured. 
“At this time the buds had not developed sufficiently 
to permit of making extensive observations on the ex¬ 
tent of injury to them. It was observed, however, that 
very few of the smaller-sized buds under the cloth 
showed any injury, while all the buds of any size not 
shaded were dead. 
Year old Filberts. Fig. 587 ' 
gutters or over the fresh manure. In this way the 
phosphate will help hold the ammonia, and will be 
thoroughly mixed through the manure. If this has 
not been done, we would mix the phosphate through 
the manure as it Is loaded on the wagon, and haul 
it right out to spread on the sod. 
