Chapter XVI 



PICKING PEARS. 



As a prelude to picking the matured fruit, comes in 

 hand-thinning of the undeveloped fruit, in order to 

 give that allowed to remain on the tree, a better oppor- 

 tunity for development. Among amateur growers and 

 in garden culture, and small orchard culture, this is a prac- 

 ticable operation, and is to be recommended, if one 

 wishes to get fine specimens of large fruit. In the large 

 orchards of the Peninsula where the pear is grown for 

 market profit, this hand-thinning is not much practised 

 on account of the great labor it requires. In a measure 

 I advocate it, especially in Dwarf culture, and especially 

 in productive kinds like the Buffum, or Barlett, or Howell. 

 When we find a limb over-crowded, pick off a few of 

 the poor ones and you will get finer and larger pears 

 from those that remain. 



It has been given as a rule in hand-thinning fruit, to 

 take off all you think should come off, and then take off 

 half of those which remain. This is a good rule for the 

 professional or amateur raising specimens for the Agri- 



