32 



BULLETIN 518^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



tree. Men differ Avidely in their ideas on thinning. There is no 

 doubt that systematic thinning greatly increases the size and quality 

 of the remaining fruit, and the quantity of marketable fruit is in- 

 variably increased. The belief prevails and results apparently show 

 that annual thinning tends to produce more even and more certain 

 annual crops. (See fig. 13.) 



Thimiing involves considerable labor. Women are sometimes em- 

 ployed for this operation, the work being performed usually by the 

 operator and the members of his family, but sometimes by hired 

 laborers. Only white labor is intrusted with this work. Most often 

 only clusters are thinned, leaving one or two apples in a cluster. 





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Fig. 13. — Thinning Newtown apples. The cost of thinning in Hood Valley is as great 



as the cost of pruning. 



This is particularly true of the Yellow Newtown. The operation is 

 performed largely from ladders with thinning shears. 



Most of the thinning is done early in the summer, since thus the 

 remaining apj)les make a better growth and at the same time the tree 

 itself remains in better physical condition than when the thinning is 

 done later, thereby insuring a more regular and uniform crop each 

 year. 



The area of the orchard has some influence on the time per acre 

 devoted to thinning. In the case of orchards under 5 acres in area the 

 difference in time is very marked (see Table XL) Small acreages 

 are usually more intensively managed as regards thinning, as well 

 as in many other respects. 



