50 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE! 



as we could select. Apparently the ten rows that were thinned 

 were as well loaded as the ten that were left. We thinned 

 those apples about six inches apart. Well, those that we did 

 not thin there was an over-growth. There were a great many 

 apples found that were under-sized. On the others we began 

 the thinning June 20, because at this time we thought the June 

 drought was practically over. We went through these very 

 carefully, leaving the apples about six inches apart. The only 

 thing one can do is to use his judgment, and it is a matter of 

 experience. That is the best teacher we can have. 



Thinning the fruit at that time of year there are no insects 

 in the fruit that will do any damage. If you allow them to drop 

 at that time, the apples soon wither or dry as they fail to get 

 any nourishment, so we paid no attention to the fruit that fell. 

 The actual time that it took us was about one hour and a half 

 to a tree. Perhaps we spent a little more time than was neces- 

 sary. We kept definite data so that we could know the actual 

 cost and examine the results. The cost (we reckoned the 

 men's time at twenty cents an hour) was thirty cents per tree. 

 In those ten trees that we thinned we got very satisfactory 

 results. Of course the thing that appeals to all of us is the 

 dollars and cents side of the question. If we cannot make any 

 of our work pay in the orchard, if we cannot get a new dollar 

 for an old one, and get a good interest on that, we better not 

 do the work. In an exact account of the time and of the 

 results in the ten trees that we thinned we produced thirty-four 

 and one-third barrels of apples. Thirty- three of those barrels 

 were fancies and No. I's. We paid no attention to anything 

 below the fancy and No. i at first. We found that on one of 

 the trees, the lower one in the row, the soil was incongenial 

 for that tree. We saved the No. 2 apples and had one an'.i 

 one-third barrels. After we came to that tree we had all of 

 the No. 2 apples that we sold. No. I's sold for $2.75, the No. 

 2's for $1.50 a barrel. I figured it out after I came into the 

 hall to be sure I was right, for they say figures won't lie, even 

 if the other fellow does. That gave us for the 33 barrels at 

 $2.75, $90.75. One and one-third barrels at $1.50, $2 which 

 gave a total of $92.75 for the No. i's. In the block of ten 

 trees that were not thinned we had 32 barrels, a little over two 

 barrels less than from the trees that were thinned. We sold 



