Nut beating

[nick the grief]

No LJ it's not what you thought

I've just been listening to Radio 4 & it finally answered the age old question, why beat your Walnuts. Apparently it was to snap off the long shoots & give you shorter fruiting spurs bit like apples really.

Good old Radio 4

[sewer rat]

Nick
I'll bet she googles it anyway !!

[Lesley Jay]

Oh the stick I get from you two!! It's all your fault Nick with that spotted dick - and no I'm not going to tell you what I found!!

[Peter]

Try googling melons.

[Nicos]

Oh don't get her started Peter!!!
Mind you it's raining over here and I'm sure it beats doing the ironing instead!!

[pigletwillie]

Nick, here is the proper verse

A wife, a dog and your walnut tree,
the more you beat the better they`ll be.

I can`t comment about the first two but the reason behind thrashing walnut trees was to damage the bark so that the timber developed a much prized "burr" grain that was (and still is) very valuable, and is mainly used for fine furniture and expensive shotgun stocks.