36 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



THINNING GRAVENSTEIN. 



An experiment in thinning Gravensteins similar to that in 

 1912 was carried on this season and the results obtained com- 

 pare favorably with the results of last year, giving a like increase 

 in value of the thinned fruit. 



The thinning was done on July 22, when the apples were 

 the size of small crabs and the thinning was done so that only 

 one apple was left to a cluster ; 14.61 per cent of the total apples 

 on the tree was removed. 



The No. I, 2, 3 and cull apples were counted and the total 

 ascertained. The fruit w^as packed by one of the companies of 

 The United Fruit Companies of N. S. Ltd., without regard to 

 any difference of treatment. 



The following results were obtained: 



Thinned. Unthinned. 



Number apples picked 3,447 3^897 



Number apples removed 590 



Total apples on tree before thinning 4>037 Z^^97 



Per cent apples removed by thinning. . . . 14.61 



Per cent total weight grading No. i 65.98 5443 



Per cent total w^eight grading No. 2 14-59 12-44 



Per cent total weight grading No. 3 19.02 30.23 



Per cent total weight grading Cull .41 2.54 



Per cent total weight grading No. i and 2 80.57 66.87 



Though it will be seen by the foregoing table that more 

 apples were picked from the thinned than from the unthinned 

 trees, yet when the number of fruits removed from the thinned 

 tree is taken into consideration, we have a total of 4037 in the 

 thinned tree against a total of 3897 apples on the unthinned tree. 



By making a comparison between the number of apples on 

 each tree before thinning took place and the number of pounds 

 of fruit taken from each tree, and by calculating the weight of 

 100 apples as picked from the trees, we find that we have a 

 decrease in weight due to thinning of 1.2 lbs. in every 100 fruits 

 picked, which gives a total decrease of 43 lbs. in the fruit picked 

 from the thinned tree. 



