The Weston leader. [volume] (Weston, Umatilla County, Or.) 189?-1946, 1915-06-18
OREGON NEWS OF GENERAL INTEREST
Growing FiIberts in Oregon.

Oregon Agricultural College, Cor.
wallis --- Although hlbert growing In
Oregon is still in the experimental
stage, there have been good results In
several instances. This was 10 be OK.
pected, since wild hazelnuts grow 10
Western Oregon, and the same condi'
tlons are required In the main for the
production Of the flbert. Professor
c. |. Lewis calls attention TO the fact
that filbert-growing on the experiment
station farms at Corvallis IN quite sat
iafactory up 10 this time and promising
for the future, although nothing def'
mite regarding the success OF the In.
dustry under Oregon conditions can b'
published now.
"For the past two years, says Pro
fessor Lewis, three Of the six-year'
old trees on the station grounds have
borne at the rate Of 1000 pounds OF
nuts per acre, the varieties being Bar
eelona, Duchilly and d'Alger. Other
varieties which are being tried out are
Daviana, Kentihsm Cob, Cob Filbert,
White Aveline, Red Aveline, Purple
Aveline, Crosse Blanche, Montebello,
Nottingham, and Hall das Geantes.
Some Of the varieties bore few nuts
the second season from planting, and
all of them bore some the third season,
although Il was not until the fourth
year that anything like commercial
crop was harvested from any OF the
varieties.
There are two possible drawbacks
TO filbert culture. One Is the squirrels.
II one is planting the nuts, he will
have 10 watch the squirrels closely in
the fall or il will not be necessary "a
hire help 10 harvest the crop. The
second possible drawback Is the blight.
a disease that was said to be serious II
years past. The plant pathologists at
this station are working on this dis
ease at the present time and seem 70
feel somewhat encouraged. The filbert
is a nut which will sell readily and
probably will be very profitable. One
will simply have to run the chance OF
blight for the time being, and can
probably guard against the squirrels
by taking few precautions.
THE propagation Of tilberts by nuts
is not recommended; the seedlings
show too wide range Of variation to
warrant this practice. The best plan
is to obtain one-year old or two-year
old trees from nursery. ANY one OF
the leading nursery firms Of the North
west can probably furnish all the COM
mon varieties Of filberts.
"The filbert is usually propagated
by means Of hard wood cuttings. Cut
tings from six to eight inches are
made late in September or early in
October, tied in punches of twenty
five TO fifty, and packed in moist sand
or sawdust, where they remain during
the winter. BY spring the lower ends
will usually be calloused over, and
when the ground is still damp they are
lined out in the nursery row, and the
top of the cutting coming at about the
surface of the ground.
During the winter the cuttings
should not be in a placed where water
collects or where it is too wet, but
simply kept moist and cool. OF course,
the cuttings are made of last seasons
growth, just as the cuttings of grapes,
currants or gooseberries. In fact,
both the method of making the cut
tings and treatment which the filbert
should receive is practically identical
with that employed for these other
fruits.
"Filberts may be planted from ten
to fifteen feet apart.