AUGUST. 
165 
In the young plants all central and all gross shoots must be removed, and 
such small ones as are of a spreading tendency are left, being shortened at the 
tops. The Kentish mode by which another gross growth is in a great measure 
prevented where the former one was removed, is simply to cut out the coarse 
rampant shoot with a coarse-toothed little hand-saw, making a sort of haggling 
cut instead of the clean one caused by the knife. The saw is used, not in 
pruning the young trees only, but also those of more mature growth. 
The pruning of the first year leaving only five or six side shoots, the 
number will not be much increased the second year, only a fork may be here 
and there introduced when the space seems wide; the rank, coarse wood being 
cut away as before, and the small, short-jointed pieces only left, and these 
shortened to the suitable length. Keep the centre perfectly open so that the 
sun may shine into it, and on the north side as well, or, perhaps, better than 
on the south side of the tree. In the third year some tiny shoots will indicate, 
probably, the presence of fruit-bloom; leave a few of these shortened to about 
3 inches or less, and keep the remainder of the tree pruned to the shape re¬ 
commended above, which is that of a basin or bowl, and do not let the per¬ 
manent branches or ribs be too thick. 
In the case of old trees, if the ground is suitable the summer shoots will be 
long and straight like many of the basket Willows, and sometimes they are 
used for the same purposes. From 3 to 6 feet is the average length. The first 
thing done when pruning commences in the autumn is to look over all the trees, 
and pullout by a jerk of the hand all the gross strong-growing shoots in the 
centre. Generally they will come out pretty well, and bundles of these are 
very useful for tying up plants, or such out-door flowers as only require a 
slender stake. The rest of the pruning is done with the knife and saw, the 
latter being used to cut off such strong gross shoots as it may be necessary to 
shorten to a couple of inches or so, and the more slender are cut back with the 
knife. It is seldom that more than 4 inches are left of any young shoot, and 
verv often much less. 
•/ _ 
The short-jointed small wood generally produces the most nuts, and those 
most exposed are the best; but nuts are also grown near the centre of the 
plant, on spurs of the long main branches, and some on the subsidiary ones. 
Occasionally a large limb may be cut out, but this is not often the case unless 
disease or appearance of too much crowding points it out as necessary, or when 
the tree has exceeded its bounds. In the latter case it must of necessitv be 
cut back, and the occasional bringing forward of young branches from the 
centre will enable this to be done on the same principle that other fruit trees 
are pruned ; but the Filbert will bear a greater amount of spurring-back than 
any tree I am acquainted with. The quantity of young wood left on an adult 
tree each year at pruning is exceedingly small, and in most other fruits would 
produce disease ; but Filbert plantations last a great number of years, and 
their bearing properties are rather enhanced than diminished by age. Each 
succeeding year’s pruning leaves them in the same uniform shape as before, 
which is an open cup or basin-shaped centre, with the outer edges not more 
than 5 feet high. Of course, exact training to this cannot well be accom¬ 
plished without tying, which is rarely adopted ; but the cutting at the edges to 
the height above indicated leaves the tops parallel with the ground surface ; 
and, though there are some branches near the outer edge between the ground 
and the edge of the basin spoken of, they are of less consequence than the 
framework of the tree forming the shape here described. 
With regard to manure, that which is very rich, as farmyard dung, is seldom 
used, as tending to too much grossuess. Woollen rags and shoddy are largely 
employed in many districts, and are great favourites with the Kentish farmers. 
