APPLE GROWING IN CALIFORNIA. 69 



Pruning can not be made to take tin- place of thinning altogether. 

 Fruit will duster just the same on pruned trees as those unpruned, 

 and there is no way of breaking up these clusters and giving each fruit 

 for development, except by picking off part of it by hand. 



THINNING BY REMOVING THE FRUIT AFTER IT SETS. 



The earlier the fruit is removed the better chance will the remainder 

 have to develop. While no time can be set, that will not be subject to 

 \\ul<- variation with seasons and different fruits, in general thinning 

 should be done just as soon as possible after the fruit sets and danger of 

 the early, or so-called June drop, is over. The work may be done quite 

 handily with a pair of thinning shears such as shown in Fig. 44. These 

 may be purchased at small cost and will greatly aid in the work. 



Fig. 44. A good type of shears for use in thinning apples. 



The amount of fruit that should be left on a tree is, of course, an 

 I'Xi-eedingly hard thing to judge. Some have advocated thinning with 

 tin- idea of leaving a certain number of boxes of well developed fruit. 

 While this might not be done with a very great degree of accuracy at 

 first, those who have tried it claim that in a very short time one will 

 ii-arn just about how to space the apples so that an amount approxi- 

 mating a certain number of boxes is left. This spacing will, of course, 

 vary with the variety, the average being about six inches. If trees 

 are well set with fruit so that an even distribution can be brought 

 about, all clusters should be broken up until no two apples touch, and 

 all fruit on the tips of small twigs should be removed. Careful, sys- 

 tematic work is necessary for the greatest success. He who goes into 

 his on-hard with a pole and knocks off some fruit here and there has 

 not thinned. True, he has relieved the tree of some of its burden, but, 

 in all probability, in such a way that he will not be repaid to any 

 extent for his efforts. 



