324 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



4 GEORGE V., A. 1914 



wise, taking in trees of each variety in each plot. The area in each plot was as 

 follows : — 



Plot 1. — General thinning, 1 acre. 



Plot 2. — Thinned to 8 inches, \ acre. 



Plot 3. — Thinned leaving one fruit to a cluster, 1 acre. 



Plot 4. — Thinned to 6. inches, \ acre. 



Plot 5. — Not thinned, 1 acre. 



Plot 6. — Thinned to 4 inches, 1 acre. 



All spotted and deformed fruit was removed from all plots thinned. 



Plot No 1, General thinning. — This consisted of removing all deformed or spotted 

 fruit and thinning the fruit which was in clusters, to generally one fruit. No rule as 

 to spacing was adhered to. "Where the fruit was thick on a branch, fruit was removed, 

 but where the set was light little was taken off. 



Plot No. 2, Thinned to 8 inches. — Well-formed fruit was left 8 inches apart. All 

 clusters of fruit were thinned to one apple to a fruit spur. 



Plot 3. — The fruit clusters only were thinned, leaving only one apple to a fruit 



spur. 



Plot If., Thinned to 6 inches. — All clusters were thinned one apple to the fruit spur. 



Plot 5, Not thinned. — Check plot. 



Plot 6, Thinned to k inches apart. — All clusters were thinned one apple to a fruit 



spur. 



The following data were secured in this experiment: — 



Thinning Experiments with Ben Davis, Stark and Greening. 



Ben Davis. 



Apples removed, per cent. 



Apples picked No 



Barrels, apples, No 



No. of apples to barrel 



Increase in size over check, 

 per cent 



Stark. 



Apples, removed, per cent. 



Apples picked, No 



Barrels, apples, No 



No. of apples to barrel 



Increase in size over check, 

 per cent 



Greening. 



Apples removed, percent- 

 Apples picked, No 



Barrels, apples, No 



No. apples to barrel 



Increase in size over check, 

 per cent 



Plot 1. 



General 

 thinning. 



12-28 



5,371 



1123 



477 



12 31 



25 33 



1,238 



298 



415 



7-77 



18-75 



3,662 



935 



383 



1-80 



Plot 2. 



Thinning to 

 Sin. 



Plot 3. 



One to spur, 

 fruit. 



38 70 



1,609 



406 



396 



27-20 



36 14 



507 



1-26 



402 



10 66 



32 20 



1,295 



3 45 



375 



384 



22-67 



5,528 



10-60 



521 



400 



18 45 



1,184 



3 05 



388 



13 20 



19 78 



2,000 



5-28 



379 



2-82 



Plot 4. 



Thinned to 

 6 in. 



36 00 



1,898 



3 S3 



495 



9-00 



30 95 



368 



102 



360 



20 00 



20 00 



904 



2 42 



373 



4 36 



Plot 5. 



Check. 

 Unthinned 



0000 



7,080 



13 00 



544 



00 00 



1,777 



395 



450 



00 00 



2,718. 



6 97 



390 



Plot G. 



Thinned to 

 4 in. 



23 78 



3,340 



639 



522 



4-00 



From the above figures it will be easily seen that thinning in every case materi- 

 ally increased the size of the fruit and that the heavier thinnings as a rule, gave 

 the largest apples. 



