24 



Mr. Conant's subject for an hour, we might stop and take 

 up this matter of thinning; I feel that it is one of our im- 

 portant, practical questions, and it would be verj* interest- 

 ing if we could have a few minute's discussion on the sub- 

 ject. We would be glad to hear from any one who has had 

 experience in thinning. 



A MEMBER: The only way we have ever been able to 

 get Baldwin apple trees to bear annually has been through 

 tJiinning. and we have not been able to get Greening apples 

 to respond to thinning, but the Baldwin we can largely con- 

 trol, not only make them bear annually, l)ut we very greatly 

 increase the quality of the fruit, and in Xew York practical- 

 ly all the growers do more or less of it. They do it early, 

 and it is practically a universal custom among the better 

 growers and has been for two or three years. A neighbor of 

 mine was one of the first to experiment with it. His trees 

 are Baldwin, 40 years old, and bear annually from 8 to 12 

 barrels a year, very large fruit, highly colored, and it is a 

 generally accepted practise with us to do it to a greater or 

 less extent as the only way they run be made to l)ear an- 

 Eually at all. 



THE CHAIRMAN: I should think that if th(^ Baldwin 

 could be made amenable to the practise, almost anything 

 else could. It seems to me that the Baldwin is as much an 

 offender in that line as any variety we have. 



A :\1E:\1BER: I wouUl like to ask the gvntk-man who 

 spoke during what month they do that thinning. 



:\IR. CONANT: In June. 



:\1R. GEER OF THREE RIVERS: I think it is impos- 

 sible to raise i)rize Wealthy without thinning. Our Wealthy 

 will set as thick as they can hold if they are thinned proper- 

 ly; if they are not thinned they won't ])e worth anything at 

 all. I think it is very important that they should be 

 thinned, and I have had experience with other varieties too. 

 and think one of the most important things we can do in the 

 fruit growing business is to thin, especially where the apples 

 hang full. 



