THE THINNING OF FRUIT 115 



As a rule, the sooner the thinning is done after the June drop, 

 the better will be the results. The apples will be nearly an 

 inch in diameter at that time, some varieties larger and some 

 smaller. This will be the middle of June with peaches and 

 plums, and the last of June to the middle of July (depending 

 on the locality), with apples and pears. When the season is 

 late, it is advisable to begin the work before the June drop is 

 quite over or it will be delayed until late in July in the 

 northern latitudes. When the work is left until late in the 

 season, the beneficial results are often reduced. The reasons 

 for thinning about the time of June drop are : 



1. The size will be increased to a greater extent. 



2. The development of seeds and " pits" drains the energies 



of the tree. 



3. If done before that time, it is probable that many 



fruits which were thinned would not have set, thus 

 wasting labor and causing too great a distance be- 

 tween fruits after the natural abscission has taken 

 place. 

 It is the experience of most growers that if thinning is 

 delayed until late in the season, the size of fruit is not per- 

 ceptibly increased. The author has seen distinct evidences of 

 this on several occasions, especially with the apple. 



In order to establish that early thinning lessens the drain 

 on the resources of the tree, a chemical analysis of the seeds 

 and pits early in the season and later must be considered. 



As already referred to in Chapter I, Bigelow and Gore ^ 

 report on the composition of the Triumph, Rivers, Early 

 Crawford, Elberta, Heath, and Smock varieties of the 

 peach, at three periods in the development of the fruit. 

 First, immediately after the time of the June drop; second, 

 when the stone had hardened; and third, when the fruit was 



• Bigelow, W. D., and H. C, Gore. U. S. Dept. Agr. Bur. Chem. Bull. 

 97. 1905. 



