334 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



HINTS ON THINNING FRUIT. 



The prospects of an abundant fruit crop through- 

 out most of the fruit-growing regions of this coun- 

 try, have scarcely ever been better, according to 

 the best information we can obtain, than they are 

 the present season. The winter was of more than 

 an average mildness ; and the spring, though ear- 

 ly, has been cool, without any violent changes 

 likely to affect the fruit buds. At the present mo- 

 ment (May 14th) peaches, cherries, and pears, 

 show a remarkable profusion of blossoms. The 

 temperature is lower than we could wish it to be, 

 and for several nights there has been here a light 

 frost, but owing to the dryness of the atmosphere, 

 it has not, as far as we are able to judge, done any 

 serious injury. Everything looks promising. Last 

 season the crop was very light generally — in many 

 localities a total failure ; and this will contribute 

 much to the abundance of this season's crop. 



Now we wish to offer a few hints in regard to 

 certain precautions, which the circumstances call 

 for ; that is, provided the crop will be as heavy as 

 we have reason to anticipate. It is very well 

 known that in favorable seasons, after a failure es- 

 pecially, trees bear too much. It is very com- 

 mon to see them so loaded with fruit as not only 

 to cease growing entirely, but to bend and break 

 down under its weight. This should be guarded 

 against^ Trees are in a multitude of cases enfee- 

 bled, broken, contract diseases, and are, in short, 

 ruined by excessive bearing ; and every man who 

 appreciates the value of a full grown bearing tree, 

 worth from $100 to $500 as the case may be, should 

 guard against such a result as carefully as he 

 would his ox or his horse against excessive labor 

 that would be certain to injure or kill them. 



Trees, like animals, have constitutions that can, 

 by proper treatment, be kept sound for a great 

 length of time, or by neglect, or bad treatment, 

 broken down. Our opinion is that the feeble, dis- 

 'eased, and short-lived condition of the peach tree 

 in New Jersey, is due, in a great measure, to a 

 greedy or.careless system of over-cropping. We 

 know how races of men and horses degenerate, 

 from hard labor and bad treatment — how they 

 dwindle down in size, lose their proportion, sym- 

 metry and intelligence — in short, wear out, to use 

 a very common but expressive term. Trees "wear 

 out," too. How many we have all seen that in their 

 youth, even before they had arrived at a full bear- 

 ing age and size, began to look old — the branches 

 twisted and knarly, the bark rough and mossy and 

 all covered with small, feeble, ill-formed buds and 

 fruit spurs, loaded perhaps with small, worthless 

 fruit, not worth picking up. 



Now those who desire to guard their trees 

 against wearing out, must not be too greedy of a 

 great crop. Thoy must master that natural re- 

 luctance we all feel to pick off a portion of the 

 fruit. They must thin them out so as to leave 

 them evenly distributed over the tree, and only so 

 many as can be brought to full and perfect ma- 

 turity without injury or death to the tree. But 

 we shall be asked, "How are we to know how 

 many we ought to leave or how many to take?" 

 Well, we confess it takes some little skill and ex- 

 perience to thin a crop judiciously, but he who goes 

 about in earnest will find some indications to aid 

 him. It will not do to thin in all cases alike, be- 

 cause the vigorous tree, in a generous soil, will car- 

 ry a large crop without injury, and one that would 



be almost certain death to a delicate or feeble tree 

 having limited resources in the way of food, just as 

 a healthy, robust,well-fedman can perform a day's 

 work with ease that a weakly, ill-fed man dare not 

 attempt. The growth of a tree, the appearance 

 of its foliage, the length and thickness of its young 

 shoots, afford a very reliable guide as to the vig- 

 or of a tree and its ability to bear a heavy crop. 

 Some varieties are naturally moderate and con- 

 stant bearers, and if kept under good culture 

 might never require thinning, while others bear 

 enormously some years, the fruit actually cover- 

 ing every part of the tree and requiring props and 

 supports to keep it from being torn to pieces. Such 

 trees cannot bear so in successive years, nor can 

 they long remain healthy. Then beside thinning 

 the fruits, good culture must be given them in 

 their fruitful years, and top-dressings of composts 

 in a well decayed state. Garden trees may have 

 liquid manure and mulching instead of tup-dress- 

 ing. Such care as this, not costing much, will not 

 only sustain the vigor and health of trees, but pro- 

 duce large, handsome, marketable fruits. When 

 a tree is loaded to breaking down, one-half or 

 three-fourths of the fruit is worthless, and all the 

 advantage of a large crop is lost. 



We consider this subject of much importance to 

 the fruit grower. We know by ample experience 

 that it is. We crop our own trees heavily, per- 

 haps too heavily ; but every season we have to 

 perform a thinning process, and we should consid- 

 er the neglect of it nothing less than the wilful de- 

 struction of our trees. — Genesee Farmer. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 FARM SCHOOL AT WESTBORO'. 



Mr. Brown: — I am pleased to see tlie attention 

 of the ptiblic called to the uses that should be 

 made of the State form at Westboro'. Here are 

 hundreds of boys, that are from year to year to 

 be scattered abroad in the community, dejiendent 

 on their own exertions for a living ; — starting un- 

 der the necessity of having their first impressions 

 eradicated. How important then that tliey be 

 guided right ! That they be so instructed as to be 

 useful and respectable in the stations they may 

 be called to fill ! Suppose each of these boys to be 

 thoroughly instructed in the operations required 

 of the farmer, so that he could take the charge of 

 this class of labor ; — and that the young men who 

 may go out from this institution, should have the 

 reputation of being there instructed ; would there 

 be any question of their finding immediate employ- 

 ment ? It is safe to say, there would not. How 

 important then, for the young men, and for the 

 community, that they be thus instructed. 



If special care be not taken, so to instruct them, 

 they will assuredly be bad. As well may you at- 

 tempt to confine a multitude in a close rot>m, with- 

 out ventilation, and expect the air to remain pure, 

 as to expect a multitude of youth, when congre- 

 gated together, without employment, to retain 

 their purity. All experience proves the evils of 

 such associations. Satan always finds employ- 

 ment for the idle. When good is not doing, mis- 

 chief will be brewing. 



But sir, short stories are best. I hope those 

 who have the power, will not be unmindful or 

 neglectful of their duty. 



MayZl, 1853. 



