274 AMERICAN POMOLOGY. 



upon such trees as those under consideration, and thus, in 

 a degree, it prevents the recurrence of so heavy a crop 

 the following year. Whenever an old orchard has reached 

 this condition of over-fruitfulness, however, the best meth- 

 od of thinning is to give a severe winter pruning ; remov- 

 ing portions of the spray and encouraging the free 

 growth of young wood in various parts of the top, to re- 

 place the older portions that were removed. 



