No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 459 



taken off, yielded three barrels. On the larger trees we would get 

 about five barrels of fruit, but they would not be of the same grade. 

 When we get five barrels from the larger trees, we do not get as 

 much high grade fruit as we do from the smajler trees. There is 

 great ditficulty in getting workers to thin the fruit properly. They 

 twist off the apples with the finger and thumb. On the dwarf trees 

 the}- can stand on the ground and reach the fruit readily. 

 Question. When is the thinning done? 



MR. POWELL: About the middle of July for winter apples and 

 then go over again in August and take off all that is not perfect. 



MR. WILSON: Do you have much June drop? 



MR. POWELL: June dropping is not experienced in Eastern New 

 Vorlv as it is in many places. 



Question. How do you thin peaches? 



MR. POWELL: In thinning peaches, we leave none nearer than 

 six or eight inches apart. The only way that I can get peaches thin- 

 ned properly is to get women and children to do it. Men won't do 

 it properly, for they think it is a waste. 



Question. When do you begin to prune young trees? 



MR. POWELL: In regard to the standard trees about three years 

 old. We do the pruning in the summer rather than in the spring. 

 1 believe it isS going to be possible for us to hold our standard trees 

 down to a very much smaller size by summer pruning. Understand 

 that when the tree is fully grown or mature, if we prune it in the 

 summer we can give it a decided check. I think it is best to begin 

 with young trees. It we start young trees by taking out the upright 

 limbs we can dwarf them to a certain extent. 



Question. What height do you head trees? 



I like standard trees started about two and one-half feet froni 

 the ground. The Rhode Island (Ireening and King about four feet 

 Then keep the tops cut out. I believe that by cutting out, we shall 

 not produce so many apples but all will be better quality and a 

 greater number of barrels or boxes of perfect fruit. We aim to 

 prune the center out and let the sun shine down thi'ough the trees. 



I have given you in outline as much as possible and suggestions 

 along this line of different management's of apple trees of both the 

 dwarf and standard. 



WORKING PLANS OF THE NEW YORK STATE FRUIT 

 GROWERS ASSOCIATION FOR CO-OPERATION. 



By Mb. T. B. Wilson, Halls" Corners, N. V. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen. — I have been asked to 

 tell you something of the working plans of the New York State 

 Fruit Growers Association for co-operation. I am sorry to say thaf 

 some of them seem to have been failures, but perhaps you can learn 



