16 



jury, both as affecting the annual bearing and also the ma- 

 turity of the fruit. 



Now, I have cited these cases because they are impor- 

 tant cases in our State, and they seem to demonstrate that 

 jt does not amount to anything as to what sysem of culture 

 you use, but that it is the man behind the proposition and 

 the way he lives up to' the method that he adopts that secures 

 results. 80, after all, by adopting some definite system and 

 trying to bring into harmony these important factors that 

 have an influence on the production or annual bearing of the 

 trees, by i)runing reasonably, properly, by spraying thor- 

 oughly, by developing a nice, strong healthy foliage on the 

 trees to store up food and develop fruit buds, and by check- 

 ing the growth of the trees at the right time, by conserving 

 the moisture through the early part of the season and seeing 

 that there is not an excess of moisture toward the close of the 

 season, we will be assisting nature or our orchards to do the 

 natural thing, namely, to grow and bear fruit. I thank yoi^ 

 (Applause). 



THE CHAIRMAN : Ladies and gentlemen : You have 

 all the time that you care for to ask IMr. Conant questions. 

 AVe would like, as far as possible, to have these questions 

 recorded. If you will give your name and the question, 

 then we will put it to l\Ir. Conant and see wihat he can do 

 for us. Secretary Brown is bringing up a special question 

 box, and you can put into it anything that you want dis- 

 cussed at a later session. "We "would now like particularly 

 questions that bear on what IMr. Conant has been talking 

 about. 



A MEMBER: I should like to ask Mr. Conant what he 

 thinks of the thinning of apples and its effect on the annual 

 bearing in our section. 



MR. CONANT: I would say that so far as I am con- 

 cerned, I realize that this may be a factor to a greater or 

 less degree, but I have not had the experience, I have not 

 l>roven it a factor and it is a question with a great many of 

 our orchardists as to just what influence it may have. It 



