DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 



599 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



The cost of these mixtures has been calculated on the following basis: — 



Black Leaf 40 — $12.50 per gallon, or approximately |;1.25 per pound. 

 Nico soap — 47J cents per pound. 



Common soap — 5 " " 



Kerosene oil — 15 " per gallon. 



Flour — 11 " per pound. 



THINNING APPLES, 



Experiments in thinning were conducted at Bridgetown in the orchard of F. H. 

 Johnson. The variety of Blenheim was used. Five trees were thinned and these were 

 compared with seven trees unthinned. The trees were uniform and appeared to be 

 equally well set with fruit. Approximately 17 per cent of the apples were removed 

 from the thinned trees on the 15th of July. 



The apples were counted when picked and were packed by the Banger Fruit Co., 

 Ltd., Bridgetown. The apples were shipped to England through the United Fruit Com- 

 panies of Nova Scotia, Ltd. In addition to the usual marking the letters A.B.F. were 

 put on the barrels of unthinned fruit and M.B.D. on the barrels of thinned fruit, so 

 that the shipment could be traced to the selling point. 



Assuming that the apples would have been the same on thinned as on unthinned 

 trees, had the thinning not been done, the yield from five trees would have been nine- 

 teen barrels, or the same as that actually picked. This shows that thinning does not 

 necessarily lessen the yield, for the increase in size of fruit malces up for the apples 

 removed by thinning. 



The apples were sold on their merit and the purchaser knew nothing of the nature 

 of the experiment. The following- prices were received. 



Unthinned 

 Fruit. 



Thinned 

 Fruit. 



$ cts. 



No. 1 , 



No. 2 



No. 3 



67 



67 

 74 



$ cts. 



2 01 

 1 66 

 74 



The No. 1 fruit from the thinned trees it will be noticed sold for 34 cents per 

 barrel more than for the same grade in the unthinned trees. 



THINNING EXPERIMENT. 



Total number of apples on unthinned trees 24, 014 



Total number of barrels, tree run 37 



Average number of apples per barrel 649 



Number of apples removed by thinning 2, 099 



Number of apples on thinned trees 10, 426 



Number of apples per barrel, tree run 548 



IvEXTVILLE. 



