THE PEACH 89 



THINNING THE FRUIT 



There is no one thing connected with the growth of 

 the peach of so great importance as thinning. When 

 the fruit buds are not destroyed by the cold or injured 

 by late spring frosts, the trees are generally so loaded 

 with fruit that, if it is all allowed to grow, the trees 

 will be so injured as to be subject to all the diseases 

 that so commonly attack the trees, while the fruit will 

 be of little value in the market. Thinning should be 

 done f.s soon as it can be determined whether the fruit 

 is perfect or not, the amount of thinning to be done 

 depending upon the size and vigor of the trees, and 

 the quality of fruit desired. If the largest and finest 

 fruit is desired, only a limited number of specimens 

 should be allowed to remain, i. e., thin to from five to 

 six inches apart, while, if the trees are very vigorous 

 and only a medium grade is desired, a distance of 

 from four to five inches may be the rule. The greatest 

 profit will come from the more rigid thinning. It 

 will be found where the trees are well set with fruit 

 that the quantity will be about as great in one case as 

 in the other, while the larger the fruit the higher the 

 price at which it will sell and the less the strain upon 

 the tree. In thinning, all poor or curculio-stung spec- 

 imens should be picked off, even if the last fruit is 

 removed, for it would be of no value in the market 

 and might be a breeder of insects or fungi. 



HARVEST AND MARKETING 



Much of the profit of growing this fruit will 

 depend upon the way in which it is harvested and put 

 on the market. To reach its greatest perfection the 

 fruit should be allowed to become nearly ripe, and be 

 picked and taken to the market at once, as it will not 

 keep long after it reaches this stage. It is the practice 



