New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 319 



because of the comparatively small amount of fruit under experi- 

 ment. With the crop of 1896 men of experience in marketing 

 apples estimated that if the thinned fruit could have been 

 furnished in barrels • in car lots it would have commanded 

 from 10 per ct. to 15 per ct. higher price than the corresponding 

 grades of the unthinned fruit. But for the practical orchardist 

 who owns his orchard there is another important consideration, 

 namely, the welfare of the trees. Young trees, and with some 

 varieties mature trees also, may be injured by allowing them to 

 bear too heavy a crop of fruit. This may render them more 

 liable to injury from unfavorable climatic conditions, or it may 

 so weaken their vitality that they will not recover normal vigor 

 and productiveness for several years, if they do at all. Then, 

 too, overburdened apple trees are apt to sufifer permanent injury 

 from the breaking of large limbs under the excessive weight of 

 fruit. The whole question as to whether it pays under existing 

 conditions to thin fruit in the commercial orchards of western 

 New York is well summed up by Mr. Wilson, in whose orchard 

 these tests were made. In reply to this question he writes: 

 " When there is a general crop of apples and the crop, or set, is 

 very full, so that the chance for small fruit is very great and wide- 

 spread over the country, I think it would pay to thin to such an 

 extent as to insure good-sized fruit. Aside from this I do not 

 think it would pay, only for the protection of the tree." 



METHOD AND TIME FOR THINNING APPLES. 



A word may be said as to the opinion of the writer concerning 

 the best method and the best time in the season for thinning- 

 apples. No method of jarring or raking off the fruit in thinning 

 is advised because by such methods good, bad and indifferent 

 fruit is indiscriminately taken ofif. It is best to do the work by 

 hand because intelligent selection can then be made and only the 

 best specimens allowed to remain on the tree. 



As to the best time in the season for thinning it may be said 

 that best results seem to be obtained by early thinning. The 

 work should be begun within three or four weeks after the fruit 

 sets, without waiting for the second drop to be completed. 



