JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



377 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



THINNING FRUIT. 



UBING the latter part of May and the early 

 part of June more fruit requires tliinning 

 than at .my other season of tlie year. Tlie 

 enoiTnous number of Vines in unforced 

 houses througliout the country form theu- 

 fruit at the period named ; and Peaches 

 and other stone fruits in cool houses and 

 in the open au- also require attention now. 

 Before giving a few liints on fruit-thinning 

 I may just say that I am of opinion that, 

 as a rule, many kinds of fruit are not thinned to the ex- 

 tent it is necessary they should be, and if thinning the 

 fruit were more juihciously attended to, in the place of a 

 glut of fruit one year and none whatever the next, there 

 would be a more uniform crop annually. 



Gr-A-Pes. — fc'ome varieties of Grapes set their berries 

 mnch thicker than others. 'J he highest-flavoured Mus- 

 cats frequently set very irregularly ; in many cases there 

 being nothing but a few large berries to each bunch ; 

 while such sorts as the Alicante form ten times more berries 

 than are wanted. Muscats should never be thinned until 

 .about three weeks after the bunches have gone out of 

 bloom: by that time it will be perfectly visible which 

 beiTies are likely to swell to their fullest extent. Let 

 every one of these rem.ain, if required, and clip out all 

 the small berries. Where there are not enough of large 

 hemes to complete the bunch a few of the largest of the 

 BnaaU berries may sometimes be left ; but for my own 

 part I would sooner see a thin bunch than a thick one 

 with a multitude of miniature berries amongst a few large 

 ones when ripe. Lady Downe's is not altogether free 

 from the Muscat fault ; its fruit does not always swell 

 equally. This, I have observed, occurs oftener in par- 

 tially shaded houses than in those fully exposed to sun- 

 ehine ; but there can never be any mistake in cutting out 

 all sickly-looking berries, and leave only those which 

 show a fi-esh plump appearance. Alicantes may be thinned 

 a few days after they have gone out of bloom without 

 fear of making a mistake ; but Barbarossas require more 

 care, as they are not uniform setters. The Black Ham- 

 burgh generally sets freely, but it is worth while observ- 

 ing that its berries, as a rule, form in threes, the larger 

 one being in the centre, and in well-set bunches there are 

 enough left when these two are cut away and the large 

 centre berries are left all over the bunch. No other 

 Grape that I know calls for particular remark. 



Always use a pair of long, narrow, verj- sharp scissors 

 in thinning. Clip the berries out of the centre before 

 removing them too much from the outside. In inserting 

 the point of the scissors in the centre of the bunch take 

 gi"eat care and do not pierce any of the berries that are 

 to be left, or those so injured — even very slightly — will 

 fail to do properly afterwards. In thinning, the bunch 

 must be held without being injured. There must be no 

 twisting of the shoulders nor rubbing of the Grapes. 

 Nearly aU the berries which have to be taken out should 

 be removed the first time, but if it is seen they will become 



No. 813.-VOL. SXXU., KE-rf SEEiZB, 



too close a few more may be out out before they are fully 

 swelled. Always leave every bunch a little too thin 

 rather than a great deal too thick, but try and remember 

 how they ended last year and act accordingly. 



Peaches and Nectarines. — "Leave the fruit of these 

 from 9 to 12 inches apart all over the tree," is advice 

 often given, but it as often happens that Peaches and 

 Nectarines set thickly in one place or part of the tree, 

 while other parts are bare of fruit. In this case it is 

 difficult to get them " all over." " Theu should they be 

 left closer than 9 inches apart to recompense for the 

 deficiency on many of the branches?" Certainly. I 

 have a tree now with plenty of fruit at the points of the 

 branches, but scarcely any in the centre, and on some 

 branches I liave left the fruit not more than 4 inches 

 apart, and I have done this before and found it to answer 

 well ; but at the same time the crop is not excessive. 

 Perhaps if all the fruit were distributed evenly over the 

 tree they would not come closer than 9 inches apart. I 

 merely refer to this because I have known some amateui-a 

 who did not understand whether when the fruit was 

 thick in one part and none in another it should still be 

 thinned to the state 1 distance. 



It is never safe to begin thinning these fruits to any 

 great extent until after the stones are formed. "When they 

 are set very thickly those whijli appear in clusters may 

 be reduced to one, but nothing further than this should 

 be done until the time above stated. Those which stone 

 first swell quickly, and they often take the lead of those 

 of which the stoning is doubtful. When these early- 

 stoned fruits are suflieient to form a crop remove the 

 others at once, and the strength of the tree wiU be not 

 wasted, as would otherwise be the case. The fruit which 

 is left should always stand prominent on the face of the 

 trees, and those which are formed behind the branches 

 should only be left when they are ^.ctually needed. On 

 strong healthy trees the fruit may be left from G to 

 10 inches asunder; on weak trees it should be double 

 tliis distance. 



Apricots. — These are thinned under the same regula- 

 tions as the iireceding, only green Apricots are often 

 wanted for cooking and preserving in that state, and the 

 best time to gather them for such purpose is just before 

 the stone in their centre becomes hard. Apricots often 

 set in clusters, and these should always be reduced before 

 the single fruits are touched. They should never be left 

 closer than Peaches. This season our trees have just set 

 about enough for a crop, and we shall not thin-off a 

 single fruit. 



Apples, Pears, and Plums — It is veiy seldom that the 

 fruit of any of these are thinned, and so much the worse 

 for the trees, especially if young, as many fine young 

 trees that would ultimately be of a superior character are 

 crippled, if not ruined, in their early years by being 

 allowed to bear heavy crops of fruit. It is a leading 

 desire with many to see the branches of little trees bent 

 under a load of i'ruit, but it is bad practice. Single fruit 

 may generally be left without doing harm ; but to give 

 the fruit a fair chance of coming to perfection and the 



No. 1105.— Vol. LVII., Old Sesieb. 



