THE FRUIT CULTIVATOR. 
35 
away or shortening the laterals which every year rise from the same. 
The management of these laterals is of great consequence. If they 
exceed the length of six inches, they may be cut back to a few buds ; 
hut if less, they should he preserved, as their points are generally 
fruitful. The grand object with the pruner is to have the branches 
thickly beset with fruitful spurs, and which are only reduced in 
length, when, after a few years’ growth, they become too distant from 
the branch, when they are cutback, to a healthy spur behind. If any 
part of the branch becomes accidently naked, a strong shoot from the 
bottom may be led up, and managed so as to fill up the vacancy. 
When filbert trees are thus managed, and have arrived at their 
full volume in width‘and height, they may be kept in the same state 
for many years—say twenty or thirty,—by the knife only, and with 
the requisite skill in using it. 
The plantations in Kent are either in single rows, or in entire 
quarters or fields. The plants are put in at eight or ten feet dis¬ 
tances, more or less, according to the quality of the soil; Six hun¬ 
dred and eighty plants are required for an acre, at eight feet distances 
every way : at ten feet distances, four hundred and thirty-five ; and 
at twelve feet distances, three hundred and two trees will be required. 
The Kentish primers, who, as observed before, are neither botanists 
nor physiologists, are notwithstanding well aware of the use of the 
male catkins, rejoicing to see them in great quantity, and carefully 
preserving them. From the greater or lesser number of the catkins, 
they usually predict what share of crop will follow. 
The practical example set us by the Maidstone pruners, confirms 
two very essential principles in the art of gardening, viz. that by 
counteracting the natural tendencies of a plant, it may be dwarfed, 
and by thus dwarfing, making it more fruitful. The filbert tree is so 
constituted, that it is ever extending itself by throwing up a multi¬ 
plicity of suckers, which exhaust the bearing branches and render 
them sterile ; but denying the plant its tendency to increase itself by 
suckers, promotes its energy to increase itself by seed. 
Filberts intended for long keeping, should remain on the tree till 
they are thoroughly ripe, which is easily known by their rich brown 
colour. They should be laid on a dry floor for a few days, and af¬ 
terwards stored in jars of dry sand, where they will keep sound for a 
great length of time.” 
