We are under the existing circumstances, as stated before, simply compelled to grow our own plants. And this is being done. And to prove that it can be successfully done I will try to describe and demonstrate the method I am using or employing in my nursery for propagating the hazel- or filbert-plants. I still adhere to layering as the best method of propagating the hazel, large numbers can be produced in a comparative short time, if sufficient stock-plants are at hand; and plants on their own roots have many advantages over grafted or budded stock, as there is no wild growth to combat with, so deceiving and aggravating to the people who plant hazel-nuts and liable to choke or kill the growth or bud, that eventually nothing but the wild stock will remain.
The general assertion or claim, that grafted or budded hazel-plants are more productive, more prolific, than plants on their own roots does not hold good to all varieties, as I have both grafted plants, as well as plants on their own roots of bearing age and have so far not been able to see any difference in bearing, now in the size of the fruit or nuts, but would like to have it strictly understood that this opinion of mine, gained through experience and observation in my nursery only should not be taken as final, as I only have a few grafted varieties to watch and to compare. In fact I have every reason to believe that grafted hazel-plants of some varieties, will be more prolific and bear more regular, but have had so far no proof of it, but will do more grafting of other varieties to establish the fact more positive and report the result later. For the buying public at the present time, plants raised from layers on their own roots should be preferable and layering as a method of propagating the hazel-plants resorted to until the general public gets more and better acquainted and familiar with the growing of hazel-plants.
The layering of hazel-plants in my nursery is done from imported stock or parent-plants planted on ordinary farm land thoroughly worked and well manured 12 feet apart each way. Two year old plants are selected for such planting, they are allowed to grow about two seasons before we layer them, which would be about in the autumn of the second year, at that time there should be besides the ordinary growth of the original plant, some fine young shoots growing from the root, which could be, if go desired, layered together with other branches of the plant, but is not always advisable, neither is it necessary, as the plants selected for parent stock should be well branched and well able to furnish wood enough for the first layering without those one year old shoots.
I will now try to show to you, as an illustration and at the same time try to explain the reason why they should not be layered, simply because they are there. It is all well and good to layer them, if the scarcity of wood of a choice variety demands every branch obtainable and they will grow all right, but will never produce as nice a root as layers from a two year growth. These are the young so-called one-year-old shoots I have referred to, really just this season's growth, perfectly straight without any laterals. Now in layering them a little opening long enough for the branch and about 3 to 4 inches deep, the same as for layering other branches should be made in the ground and the young shoot or branch carefully bent and placed in the opening and well anchored or fastened before the ground is filled in again, otherwise our changeable winters may heave and loosen them, we will then at the best of it eventually grow but one plant from each of such shoots and generally poorly rooted at that, that is a root rather long and crooked not very easy to plant and still harder to dig, very much like this specimen a layered one year old shoot, just taken from a parent plant.
We cannot improve much on this awkward root as it is impossible to shorten the bend in layering them, but we can improve on them, if we allow the one year shoot or growth another season to grow, we will then at the end of the second season have an altogether different branch before us, a branch in appearance about like the one I have here. You will notice the terminal bud of the last year's growth has made a growth of about 12 to 15 inches during this second season, besides that, you will see from 4 to 7 fine laterals all of them including the growth from the terminal bud fit for layering and all of them will bend easily and can be placed almost perfectly straight in the ground, which will invariably insure finer and better rooted plants and more of them, than a one year growth can produce, as is shown in this specimen from a-two-year-old branch I have brought with me, this demonstration plainly shows that there is nothing lost in waiting two years with the layering of young branches, as our reward will be more and better plants possibly a little smaller, but better growing plants than the longer layers from a one-year growth, besides that, a branch with 4 to 7 laterals can be layered about as quick, as a one-year growth, as the same opening in the ground made for one layer is fully sufficient for 6 or 7 on a two-year old branch. All layered branches or little shoots should be cut back to about 3-4 eyes above the ground and remain in the ground about one year, the earth around the parent plants and between the layers must be well worked throughout the whole season and if necessary mulched with half rotten manure. After the layers are well rooted, they should be taken up, cut apart and properly trimmed and planted in the nursery row, where they remain until large enough for market or orchard planting. There is but very little pruning of the young hazel-plants necessary until they are planted in the orchard. I will therefore not dwell on the subject of pruning just now, but will leave the propagating and growing of the hazel or filbert-plants in the nursery and try to make a few remarks about the hazel or filbert orchard. I should perhaps have mentioned the growing of seedlings for stock to graft or bud upon before I begin my talk on the hazel-orchard, but as there is but very little to be said about it, I may as well refer to it right now.
It is very difficult at the present time to import the ordinary wild hazel (Corylus avellana) from Europe for grafting purposes. We therefore are obliged to raise our own stock. This can well be done by sowing the seed or nuts or by layering of European varieties, we are in possession of. I have among my imported varieties several of which the fruit or nuts are too small and not at all satisfactory for commercial purposes, those varieties I am layering with that point in view to use them for stock to graft upon only. Such stock can also easily be grown from seed or nuts. It has for me so far not been necessary to grow seedlings, as I had stock enough from layers to graft upon, but have found any number of seedlings on my ground from nuts dropped from the plants and not gathered or destroyed by mice or squirrels so I know the seed or nuts will readily grow. Nuts can be sown in the fall quite successfully providing they are safe from mice, otherwise they should be stratified and kept from freezing during the winter. I will leave this subject now and call attention to the hazel or filbert orchard. If the planting of such an orchard is planned, the soil and location should be well considered. Ordinary farm land well worked and fairly well manured and not too wet will answer the purpose, providing it is an open piece of land well exposed to sun and air, as the hazel-nut requires both and a good deal of it in order to perfectly mature its' fruit.
In planting the orchard, three or four varieties should be used on account of better pollenization and plants about three to four years old planted. Varieties that naturally grow more conical or pyramidal shaped could be planted about 12 feet apart each way, but the more spreading varieties like the Lamberts and others I would advise to plant 15 feet apart each way, as part of the land between the rows can well be utilized for low growing crops for several years to come and thereby prevent the waste of land. It is not necessary to plant an equal number of each kind, if three or four varieties are chosen for the orchard, we may select say two very prolific kinds and add a few plants of other varieties to mix in for pollenization, which will fully answer the purpose. Before going any further with my talk on hazel or filbert orchards, I should emphatically recommend the thoroughly working and preparing of the ground, as it is a very essential part of the operation and a necessity to the final success. It is a mistaken idea that a hazel orchard will take care of itself, the ground should be well cultivated and kept free of grass and weeds. Barnyard manure or other fertilizers should be resorted to whenever the ground shows a necessity thereof, neither trees or fruit can be grown successfully on poor and exhausted soil. All filberts or hazel plants are naturally inclined to produce a number of suckers or young shoots grown from the root, they should be removed as soon as they appear, it will stop when the plants grow older. Standard trees with a short stem say 10 to 15 inches should be planted in the orchard, if such plants could be had. It should be our aim to try to grow and prune them with that point in view to raise such plants, as they are then easily taken care of. This actually brings us to the operation of pruning our hazel plants, which is in every way quite an important part of the growing of hazel nuts. At the time of planting all plants should be cut back, the same as is done to any shrub or tree when newly planted, but after that the hazel being more a shrub than a tree should be pruned every year with the center well kept open all the time, all weak and unnecessary wood or branches in the middle of the plant should not be cut back but entirely removed, also the young growth of most of the branches should be removed to just below the terminal bud of the previous years growth, as I will show you on a branch I have brought with me.
If we will treat the plants in our hazel orchards as herein described we should not experience any difficulty in raising a fairly good crop of nuts, if the proper varieties are selected. Insects have so far not troubled in the least, a few tent caterpillars appeared in its season, but were soon destroyed by birds. We should not allow our hazel plants to grow too tall, 12 to 15 feet should be the maximum height, after that the tall growing branches should be greatly reduced, or gradually removed, as there is generally young growth enough to take their places.
During the severe winter of 1919 and '20 most all catkins or staminate blossoms above the snowline in our nursery were frozen, also part of the wood of a few varieties were more or less frozen, of which due notice has been taken. They will be closely observed during the coming winter. Only a few of the staminate blossoms that were well covered under snow developed perfectly and the result was a very small crop of nuts on most of the varieties, but all the varieties had some, even those more or less frozen plants. It plainly shows that but a very few catkins are necessary for pollenization, even over a wide area. There will be failures caused by climatic or atmospheric disturbances in our hazel orchards as well as in all other orchards which we cannot control nor prevent, but that should not discourage us as long as the prospects of fair crops are otherwise all right, the selecting of varieties, the proper pruning of our plants, the control of insects and the location of our hazel orchard is all in our power and should, if properly exercised, almost guarantee a fair crop and insure a fair profit from each acre so planted, providing the proper varieties are selected. Before coming to a close with my paper it seems to me justice is not quite done to the hazel proposition if I would not mention the beauty and pleasure thereof, the beautiful appearance of an hazel orchard and the pleasure and enjoyment it affords us, not from a financial point of view only in gathering the nuts, etc., but from other sources as well. No other orchard will in a comparatively short time appear more like a natural grove than the hazel on account of its characteristic compact growth and dense foliage, so attractive and inviting to our song and other insectivorous birds for hatching and rearing their young, the constant warbling of the different birds from early spring until late in summer, the building of their nests, the feeding of the young, all affords endless pleasure and enjoyment to the close observer. Now October is here, quietness reigns in field and forest, also in the hazel orchards birds are silent, a number of them departed for warmer climates, others ready to leave us, butterflies and other insects have disappeared, nuts have been gathered, and the leaves are falling, death, decaying and destruction seems to be dominating all around us, but our hazel orchard, though remarkably changed, still retains a certain part of its former beauty as the little catkins the staminate blossoms now become more conspicuous, an ornament to any catkin bearing tree throughout the winter, and a pleasure to look upon. There is no reason for discouragement, nature is not dead, only at rest, where we see death and destruction, nature in reality celebrates a new beginning.
The close examination of our hazel orchard at this time will fully convince us that vegetation is still alive and active. Examine the leafless limbs, notice the beautiful staminate blossoms, notice back of the falling leaves the life, the thrifty little bud, a sure and positive promise of a coming spring with the early pistillate hazel blossoms, a great consolation and a great source of pleasure and enjoyment to all. Why not combine profit, beauty and pleasure? Why not plant a hazel or filbert orchard?