72 STATE POMOLOGICA.I, SOCIETY. 



equal strain. Nor cau any lack of care at an early period of 

 growth, touching this question, be met and overcome by efforts in 

 after years when "the saw" must be substituted for the knife in an 

 effort to make good lost opportunities. Orchards there are where 

 this principle has been practiced with heads as round and symmet- 

 rical as the most beautiful formed horse chestnut you ever saw. 

 The work should be carefully followed any time after the tree 

 becomes dormant in the autumn, and through the winter when the 

 tree is not filled with frost. 



THINNING OF THE FRUIT. 



A subject of no less importance, ofltimes involving the health 

 and even vitality of the tree itself, is the proper thinning of the 

 fruit. Tlie average quality rarely sells at any thing over average 

 prices, while the large, well developed specimens only, bring the 

 high prices that afford the largest profits, and such fruit is not 

 found on trees over loaded beyond their power to properly mature. 



In every department of nature the effort of reproduction so taxes 

 vital fo ces as to make it a weakening process, and in none of our 

 fruits is this more manifest than in the plum which is often so 

 depleted from a single year's over production as to never recover 

 from the injury inflicted. It is not the fruit itself, but the draft 

 upon the energies of the plant to perfect tiie pit, that reduces its 

 vital powers, and often leads to premature death, hence, we say, 

 after the dropping which usually follows the setting of a large crop, 

 the wise plum grower will often find it an advantage to have 

 removed one-half of that rercaining, and as a result, the market- 

 able crop increased, quality greatly improved, and trees with their 

 vigor unimpaired to at once begin to store up the necessary mate- 

 rial for another crop. A lack of the exercise of a little common 

 sense in this regard on the part of many a man has destroyed more 

 plum trees than the damage ever inflicted by the curculio, indeed, 

 it has often been a grave question in my mind whether the work 

 of this insect might not after all be a blessing in disguise. 



So closely connected with the question of thinning is the time of 

 picking that the two should -be considered together. Unlike the 

 apple, pear or peach, the fruit of the plum is very sehlom pur- 

 chased for eating from the hand, indeed, the varieties that have 

 any value for this purpose are exceeding rare, especially when 

 considered in the light of those that may be profitably produced in 



