llen to be experimented with. By following this procedure for several
days with all the staminate blooms that have been gathered, the
experimenter should have enough pollen for work on a small scale. The
test tubes containing this pollen should never be stoppered with corks,
but with plugs of absorbent cotton, which will allow the passage of air.
Pollen may be stored in this manner for several days, possibly as long
as two weeks, if it is kept dry. By a close observation of the blooming
period of the wild hazels, one is able to determine the best time for
placing the filbert pollen on the pistillate blossoms. No attempt should
be made to do so until the male catkins of the wild hazel species are so
entirely exhausted that no amount of shaking will release any grains of
pollen. When this condition exists, it is time to move the stored
filbert branches to strong sunlight. A quiet day should be chosen to
pollinize the hazels for two reasons. If there is a wind, it will blow
away the pollen and so make the work more difficult. A wind will also
increase the danger of the hazels being fertilized by native hazel
pollen which may still be circulating in the air and which the flowers
may prefer to filbert pollen.

When good conditions are present, then, the hybridizer proceeds to his
work. A brush with which to transfer pollen from the vial to the
pistillate blossoms is made by wrapping a little absorbent cotton around
the end of a match. The paper bag is removed from around a group of
hazel blossoms, a small amount of pollen is dabbed on each blossom and
the bag is immediately replaced, to remain on for two more weeks. When
the bags are finally taken off, the branches should be marked to
indicate that the nuts will be hybrids. Before receiving pollen, each
pistillate blossom has, emerging from its bud tip, a few delicate red or
pink spikes which are sticky enough to make pollen adhere to them.
Within a few days after receiving pollen, these spikes may dry up and
turn black, a fair indication that the pollen has been effective. If the
pollen does not take hold, the spikes of the staminate blooms are sure
to continue pink for a long time. I have seen them in the middle of the
summer, still blooming and waiting for pollen which would let them
continue on their cycle. This ability of hazel flowers to remain
receptive for a long period allows the nut-culturist ample time to
accomplish his work. It is not so true with all members of t