100 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



PEACHES. 



With reference to the above figures it should be explained that the peaches under 

 ' firsts ' went about 6 to the lb. ; the ' seconds ' of trees No. 1 and No. 2 went about 8 

 to the lb., but in the case of No. 3 the sample was much smaller, going about 10 to the 

 lb., and the ' thirds ' about 1 5 to the lb. 



At first sight it appears as if No. 1 tree ripened a great number of peaches con- 

 sidering the large number (1,500) that were taken ofi^, but a considerable proportion of 

 this 1,500 would not have ' set ' and would shortly have dropped anyway. It must also 

 be pointed that about 25 per cent more rot obtained on the ' check ' tree, and had 

 these extra rotten been counted, the total number on the ' check ' tree would have been 

 much heavier. It will be seen that on the thinned trees the gain, in size, was immense, 

 and this is where the great commercial advantage lies. Had the trees been of a later 

 variety with a longer season of ripening, the difierence would probably have been still 

 greater. In thinning, an endeavour was made to leave the peaches about two inches 

 apart. I am convinced, however, that a much larger number could profitably have 

 been taken off. The cost of thinning out trees of this size would amount to only from ten 

 to twelve cents a tree. In conclusion, it may be urged from the above experiment, 

 that, when a big crop of fruit is set, thinning peaches is a highly remunerative process 

 for the following reasons : — 



1. It increases the weight of yield. 



2. It largely increases the size of the fruit. 



3. It reduces the number of matured seeds, thereby considerably lessening the drain 

 on the vitality of the tree. 



4. It renders the crop less liable to ' rot.' 



Some of the best Michigan and Georgia peach growers thin to six inches apart. 



PLUMS. 



12 lbs. of this 170 consisted of inferior and unmarketable fruit. 



In the thinning experiment conducted on plums three trees of " Moore's Arctic" 

 were taken ; an early variety of small to medium size. The crop was far too lieavy even 

 on tho thinned trees. This fact and the dry weather during the growing season partially 



