APPLES 
THINNING 
Excessive Bearing 
There 18 the tendency on the part of 
some trees to overbear, of others to not 
bear enough This tendency can, in a 
large measure, be regulated by pruning, 
thinning and feitilizing. Whatever tends 
to eacessive wood growth tends to de- 
crease the fruit production, and whatever 
tends to excessive fruit production tends 
to small wood growth. 
Winter pruning tends to stimulate 
wood growth and to reduce the number 
of fruit spurs, therefore to reduce the 
number of apples. Excessive soil fertiliza- 
tion tends also to excessive wood growth, 
and therefore to reduce the number of 
apples. Summer pruning reduces wood 
growth, multiplies fruit spurs and in- 
ereases the fruit crop. Root pruning will 
have the same effect because it retards 
wood growth. Lack of fertilization re- 
tards wood growth and results the same 
as root pruning and summer pruning of 
the top. 
The remedy is fertilization which will 
prolong the life of the tree. A tree that 
bears excessively from year to year is not 
long-lived. We are generally anxious that 
our trees should bear heavily, but to 
overbear shortens the life of the tree, 
while lack of bearing quality reduces the 
profit derived from it. 
Because of these facts the habit of thin- 
ning the fruit to the desired amount has 
become prevalent, and if the crop cannot 
be regulated by fertilization and pruning, 
thinning becomes a very important opera- 
tion. In fact, a certain amount of thin- 
ning is advantageous in any case, because 
even when the general crop is not heavy 
two or more apples will form on one 
fruit spur and so crowd each other that 
neither one becomes a perfect or market- 
able apple. It is a good rule to permit but 
one apple to develop on a single spur. 
This avoids crowding and at the same 
time prevents the breaking of the limbs 
and the necessity for propping the trees. 
GRANVILLE LOWTHER 
Overbearing in Arkansas 
Trees here, especially the Ben Davis, 
our main variety, have a tendency to 
309 
ove beal Limbs which had snapped 
under the load the past season were often 
numerous in orchards. The limbs are fre- 
quently not removed until the following 
spring, and in the case of smaller ones 
often escape attention altogether. Not 
infrequently examples were seen of fatal 
fungus diseases attacking such limbs, 
and passing from the broken to the main 
limbs. Allowing such limbs to remain is 
rather a defect of human nature than of 
practice, as is also the condition which 
first caused the breaking. Many hold to 
the belief that a tree ought to be able 
to carry to maturity all the fruit it sets; 
and doubtless the basis of this belief is 
that a dollar in the pocket is worth the 
promise of two next year. But this is 
short-sighted An apple orchard should 
continue to be a profitable investment for 
25 years at least.* Overbearing not only 
so weakens the trees as to result in “off 
years” and causes mutilation of the trees 
and disease, but is particularly trying 
here where close planting is so common, 
where supplementary fertilizing of or- 
chards is often neglected, and where frees 
loaded with fruit have the root louse 
regularly to contend with, and often 
“smart” touches of drought thrown in at 
the time they are heavy with fruit. 
Aside trom this there is a great loss in 
the proportion of first grade apples. There 
may be over-production of poor fruit, but 
hardly of first grade apples where the 
facilities for transportation to good mar- 
kets are at hand, and those markets eas- 
ily accessible. Aside from the demand, 
first grade fruit tends to increase the 
consumption and enlarges the market. 
And lastly, preservation of the “hen that 
lays the golden egg” is business, and 
money in the pocket. The proper care 
and preservation of orchards tends to 
cheapen the production of first-class fruit, 
by stopping a number of big leaks, helps 
the market by enabling us to supply its 
wants at a reduced figure, with an equal 
profit to the producer. And such is in- 
variably the testimony of the best fruit 
*We think an apple orchard well located, 
with a deep rich soil, well cultivated, sprayed 
and pruned, should live and bear for 100 years. 
enews 14 . 
