108 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



A. S. Dyckman: I never plow in fall or late summer, but do cultivate 

 peaebes in September. If on these you stop early in August your trees will 

 he heavily strained to carry their load of fruit with no cultivation. 



Mr. Wigglesworth : I must get out of this somehow. It seems from what 

 is said that that if you plow in August you are safe, but if you do it on the 

 first of September it is ruin! Now the disc harrow that some use in the later 

 cultivation, stirs the ground deejjer than we plow. Late varieties should be 

 cultivated up within ten or fifteen days of ripening. 



Friday Morning Sessio)i. 



THE QUESTION" BOX— THINNING PEACHES AN"D APPLES— METHODS WITH THE 



CURCULIO. 



Friday morning the work began with the contents of the question box, and 

 a very lively time was had of it. 



1. The proper time to thin peaches and to what extent. 



Clark Sheffer: From now on, and pretty thoroughly, leaving them six 

 inches apart. Where there are three, take out the middle one. When a tree 

 is overloaded, thin as soon as you can — early enough to relieve the tree. 

 Sometimes is necessary to go over a tree twice. Do the work when the 

 fruit is the size of hickory nuts or smaller. Time varies by varieties. 



R. R. Cockburn: I find the preferred time varies. Some do the work 

 when the fruit is very small, some when the pit forms, but there is general 

 agreement that six inches apart is the right distance. 



Samuel Sheffer: If peaches are thinned before the pit forms it is very 

 much better, for the pits take much substance. 



Mr. Djckman : When I was investigating the peach business some years 

 ago at St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, one man said, as to thinning: ^'I take 

 a club and knock off all I can see and then pick off two thirds of those left." 

 I have always practiced thorough thinning since then and it is now the gen- 

 eral custom. As to time, the earlier the better. Several years ago the rose 

 chafer was troublesome and then I did no thinning till through with him. 

 Now something, perhaps a parasite, has made way with most of these pests 

 and I thin earlier. Of those sorts that set very full, the trees have to throw 

 off and they sometimes throw too many. Thin early and get the full season's 

 growth is the best way. 



J. G. Ramsdell : We can save much of the labor of thinning by proper 

 pruning. Some, like Stanley's Late, will need thinning any way; but with 

 most kinds if we cut out little limbs and leave others, the latter will need 

 very little thinning. Leave little limbs all along large ones ; but trees, as a 

 rule, have too many little limbs. Do this work in March, whether the tree 

 will blossom or not. 



2. What is the most practicable way to thin the apple? 



A. C Merritt: Saw out the excess of limbs so as to give the others the 

 room they need ; then thin after it can be seen which are to be fine specimens. 



