242 CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



In my own experience there is no single operation in connection with fruit 

 growing of more importance than thinning. The past season, in order to test 

 the difference in expense of preparing large and small peaches for drying, I 

 timed the cutting, and found it took double the time; hence, double the expense, 

 which meant a difference of about $15 per ton of dried fruit. Add to this a 

 difference of two cents per pound in price makes $55 per ton. Suppose an 

 orchard under good treatment produces a ton of peaches to the acre, then $55 

 would represent the difference in profits. Unthinned or small fruit is certainly 

 undesirable. 



As to how much thinning should be done there are diverse opinions. Some 

 take off one-half, others three-fourths. Some growers thin to meet a certain 

 ideal, but find it difficult to explain in words. The common rule of leaving a 

 specimen of fruit every four or six inches is a safe rule; that means many must 

 come off. Different conditions of soils, climates, and irrigation vary the amount 

 to thin out, more or less. More may be left where the tree is on land giving a 

 strong, vigorous growth. 



In thinning peaches I have been practicing a method that gives good results 

 and is easily learned. The peach bears on three sizes of branches, that are one- 

 eighth, three-sixteenths, and one-fourth of an inch in diameter. The first has two 

 peaches, the second three, and the third four; this, of course, after there has 

 been a judicious course of pruning and the trees under irrigation; trees on dry 

 land should have only one-half as many left. To reach this result often a dozen 

 may have to come off, allowing only two to remain. The more there are the 

 greater the necessity for thinning. 



The time for thinning peaches is as soon as one can be sure which are likely 

 to remain on the tree and which will drop off of their own accord. 



IRRIGATION OF THE PEACH 



As the peach is the greatest deciduous fruit of the interior valleys 

 and foothills, it is also the deciduous fruit which is chiefly grown with 

 irrigation. Most of the specific conclusions set forth in Chapter XV 

 are based upon experience with the peach and the reader is advised to 

 consider them from that point of view. One of the most important 

 points of success in irrigating the peach is to use enough water earlier 

 in its growth so that application need not be made within about three 

 weeks of ripening. Enough water before that will usually insure size 

 on properly thinned trees and the withholding of water near ripening 

 will secure good quality. After the crop is gathered, irrigation can be 

 resumed to continue the late summer growth for next year's fruit buds 

 and to save the tree from injury during the long autumn drouth. Very 

 great disappointment in thrift and bearing of peaches has resulted from 

 lack of irrigation in the early autumn in the interior valley. Even in 

 places where the trees make a good crop by rainfall or underflow, there 

 may be great injury to the tree by inadequate soil moisture during the 

 remainder of the growing season. 



WORKING OVER PEACH TREES 



The fashion in peaches changes from time to time according to the 

 demands of the canners or the market for dried fruit. The grower 

 often finds varieties which he first selected, less healthy, less pro- 



