118 PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF PRUNING 



The above results may apply only to young, vigorous bearing 

 apple trees of Jonathan and Gano when planted on a rich, sandy 

 loam, free from seepage, in a semi-arid climate, with an abundance 

 of irrigation water available. These varieties under the above con- 

 ditions show a tendency to overbear soon after reaching a productive 

 age, and are usually thinned. Summer pruning reduces the area of 

 fruit-bearing wood, the vitality of the tree and the productivity. 



110. 18. Twig and small branch pruning may be used to 

 thin the -fruit and thus also favor regular annual bearing. 



In order to apply this rule intelligently, it is essential that 

 the pruner be familiar with the way in which the variety 

 he is handling produces its blossom buds (Chapter IV). 

 Otherwise, he may remove desirable parts and actually work 

 against his own interests. Fruit thinning by the removal 

 of twigs and buds during winter is generally a more ex- 

 peditious and economical method than* summer thinning of 

 the actual fruit. It can be done by more intelligent labor 

 when time is less at a premium and, therefore, when better 

 care can be given to the trees. Its greatest drawback is the 

 uncertainty as to the number of bloom buds that will expand, 

 how many may be frozen after they have opened, how many 

 fruits may fail to reach maturity. This uncertainty is ob- 

 viously greater in March than in July! Still, many fruit 

 growers practice it more or less systematically mainly be- 

 cause of its economy. Generally they wait until danger of 

 frost injury has passed so as to reduce the uncertainty as 

 much as possible. 



The fact that thinning the fruit conserves energy is 

 strikingly illustrated by the experience of J. Q. Wells of 

 Shortsville, N. Y. An orchard, mainly of Baldwin apples, 

 was 18 years of age, but had never borne a crop when Mr. 

 Wells took possession. Beginning a year or two after, how- 

 ever, it has borne 20 excellent crops during 22 years, the 

 two failures being due to frost at blossoming time. This 

 is the most striking argument for thinning the author knows. 

 To be sure the achievement is partly due to the consecutive 

 good care the orchard receives, but it is largely due also 

 to the systematic thinning. If such is the record with the 



