Pruning and Trimming 



241 



depend on the spurs. The top should be thinned at the 

 same time of weak and soft shoots, to allow the fruit-spurs 

 room and light for best development. 



THE THINNING OF THE FRUIT 



The thinning of fruit for the purpose of improving 

 that which remains. is a practice much advised but too little 



FIG. 88. A Wyoming apple-orchard, showing form of trees. 



followed. It has been demonstrated time and again that 

 no work in fruit-raising is more important than this thin- 

 ing, if one desires to realize the most from his fruit. It 

 results not only in a much finer product, but it is also 

 a means of destroying the insect-infested and diseased 

 specimens, and of saving the energies and vitality of 

 the tree. Persons complain that the thinning of fruit is 

 expensive and laborious, and this is true; but it is a fair 

 question whether there is anything worth the having of 



