APPLES 
tree a little farther apart on account of 
peing more shade in this part of a tree 
Although some shade is a good thing, as 
it prevents sunscalded fruit, it is pos- 
sible to have too much 
A very good type of thinning shears is 
shown in the cut Take off all terminal 
pranches on long, slender branches and 
preak all doubles Take off all wormy 
apples and all those that are much 
smaller than the average. Take off all 
limb-bruised or badly frost marked ap- 
ples, and also those that are liable to be- 
come limb-bruised as they grow in size, 
Leave the apples in singles and in such 
a position that they can have the best 
Fig 1 
A Good Type of Thinning Shears. 
chance to grow in size, color and uni- 
formity, and be as free as possible from 
blemish. 
There is another phase of thinning that 
would help, and that is the cutting out of 
every other tree in rows that have the 
trees so close together that they are 
crowding each other. Trees, when 
crowded, are bound to grow upward rath- 
er than outward, and if let alone will, in 
a little while, have most of the fruit 
bearing wood in the tops. This is truer 
of peaches, perhaps, than of apples, never- 
theless apple trees when crowded cannot 
do as well as when they have plenty of 
room. For this reason it is necessary to 
cut out every other tree in the row, or 
the alternates in every row, this depend- 
ing on the way and the distance the trees 
are set. 
Conclusion 
1. That thinning of the mature Wine- 
sap tree pays in money returns the first 
year. 
R. S. Herrick, 
Fort Collins, Colo. 
FERTILIZATION 
Limiting Factors 
1. Fertilizers are but one of many fac- 
tors that affect success in orcharding. 
Among the others are soil, location, vari- 
313 
eties, cultural methods, thinning, spray- 
Ing, pruning and general orchard care. 
2 The weakest factois largely control 
and limit the crop and through them it 
can be affected. Consequently the value 
of attention to any factor is essentially 
proportional to its need In general, 
therefore, applications of plant food will 
be of most value when it is the limiter. 
In the presence of other still weaker 
factors its effect may be wholly lost. 
o The best orchard treatment probably 
consists in the discovery of crop-limiters, 
their elevation to the level of the other 
factors, and the maintenance of a prop: 
erly balanced treatment thereafter. 
4. The recognition of plant food as a 
limiter is often difficult and the fact is 
best determined by trial Its need, how- 
ever, may be indicated by the trees being 
deficient in growth, foliage or fruit after 
the other factors are apparently right. 
Under such conditions the addition of 
manures and fertilizers has yielded most 
abundant results. 
5. Nitrogen is apparently of much 
greater value in apple orchards than is 
generally supposed. Its addition has 
greatly increased the quantity of fruit. 
Many failures with potash and phosphates 
have doubtless been due to a deficient 
nitrogen supply. It should be used ju- 
diciously, however, because of an indi- 
rect reduction in color, and sometimes 
also in size of the fruit. It can be used 
most freely on the earlier soils or in lo- 
calities with long growing seasons. 
6. Nitrogen may be secured in stable 
manure, cover crops, or in commercial 
forms. If applied in very soluble forms, 
especially on leachy soils, the time of ap- 
plication must be right. This is probably 
somewhat after petal-fall, when the stored 
food is exhausted and the need is greatest. 
7. In general, where plant food is 
needed, phosphate and potash should also 
be supplied. This prevents their becom- 
ing limiters in turn, and may also check 
some of the ill effects of nitrogen on the 
appearance of the fruit. 
8. Both lime and “floats,” when ap- 
plied alone, have thus far failed to show 
any marked beneficial effects. 
9, None of the fertilizers applied in 
