34 
THE FRUIT CULTIVATOR. 
check and control the natural growth, and thereby bring forth the 
fruit-bearing principle in greater force and energy. After training 
the tree to a dwarfed 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. 
The young plants which are chosen by the Maidstone growers are 
such as have been raised from layers, and which have been lined or 
bedded out in the nursery for two or three years. Each plant 
should have one strong upright shoot, of not less than three feet 
in height, this being necesssary 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 will admit of a clear stem of 
twelve inches below, and which part must be at first, and ever after¬ 
wards, 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 pre¬ 
served and trained outwards and upwards ; at first nearly horizontal, 
but curving gradually upward at the point. The easiest mode of 
doing this is by using a hoop of the proper size placed within the 
shoots, and to which the latter are tied in star-like order, and at 
equal twelve-inch distances. Such a laterally curving position may 
be much assisted and caused by a careful primer, always cutting at 
an outside bud, which, when grown sufficiently far outwards, na¬ 
turally turn up to form the permanent branches. 
The points of the branches are allowed to rise to the height of six 
feet, but never higher ; and the middle of the tree is always kept free 
from shoots and branches, so that a well-trained head resembles a 
large bowl. 
The subsequent management of the trees, both while gaining the 
desired form, and after having gained it, consists in preserving all 
the short spurs which will be produced on the branches, and cutting 
