162 THE FORCING GARDENER. [B 



SECTION VIIL 



On ^binning and Gatleri?ig tie Fruity 



THINNING is an indifpenfable duty j 

 as there are many kinds of Peaches 

 and Nedlarines which otherwife would 

 foon bear themfelves to death. This oper- 

 ation, however, fhould be performed with 

 caution, and never done for good till af- 

 ter the ftoning is over ; as, till then, all 

 danger of dropping is not paft. 



My rule for thinning is this : A fruit 

 for every foot fquare of the furface of the 

 tree for the large kinds, and for every nine 

 or ten inches of the fmall kinds of Peaches, 

 and Nectarines in general. This muft be 

 underft.ood as for trees in a healthy and 

 vigorous ftate ; but, when otherwife, they 

 fhould only be fuffered to produce accord- 

 ingly. As an inflance : I once had an El- 

 ruge Nectarine, a great bearer, which had 

 a tendency to grow naked of fhoots below ; 

 I pulled off eveSy fruit within fix or eight 

 feet of the groufid one feafon, and it made 

 wood in that part in confequence. 



So 



