26 



THINNING FRUIT. 



Next to good cultivation another important point i» 

 thinning out the .young fruit on thy tree. This contributes 

 to bring out the excellent qualities of the fi'uit, and to give 

 it size and a handsome appearance. Over-bearing always 

 injures the growth of the tree, yet thinning is scarcely ever 

 practised. 



A successful orchardist tells us that he l:as found great 

 profit in thinning the fruit ; that while he had fewer 

 specimens, he had as ruany bushels, the fruit could be 

 picked in far less time, and the crop sold more readily, and 

 at a much better price. Some have doubted whether this 

 practice can be made remunerative except in the production 

 of finer fruits ; but another cultivator, who raises an annual 

 crop of the best apples, assures us that the secret of his 

 success is the thinning of the fruit, and he has no doubt of 

 the economy of the practice. 



When the trees are in bloom whipping the trees should 

 be practised ; then again, after the fruit is formed, thin out 

 until you think there are few enough ; again, after the fruit 

 is half grown, all injured and inferior specimens should be 

 removed. Like pruning young trees, there is not much 

 danger of thinning too much, 'i'he error will probably be 

 in the opposite direction. This treatment will accomplish 

 two things — it prevents over-bearing, and has the effect of 

 securing an annual 5'ield, no unimportant item in the 

 growing of fruit for profit. As many bushels can be got 

 from the trees in the fall as if good and bad mixed together 

 had all been allowed to grow. The labor of assorting will 

 be less a*id the}' will bring a better price in the maiket. 



DESTRUCTION OF INSECT ENEMIES. 



The insects most injui-ious to apple orchards in Nova 

 Scotia are the borer, bark louse, codling moth, tent cater- 

 pillar, the canker worm, and the apple tree plant louse. I 

 iiave found all of these more or less injurious during the 

 past year. Before taking up each of these in particular, it 

 may be well io say a few words on insects in general. 



The life of an insect is divided into four well maiked 

 periods, during each of which their habits are entirely 

 different. These are — 



(1) The egg ; (2) the caterpillar or larva state, during 

 which as a rule they are most injurious ; (3) the pupa or 



