96 



THINNING FRUIT. 



of suitable wood to bear another season; 

 and the fruit will not be so fine, nor the 

 flavour so good; for the finer the fruit the 

 better the flavour providing no other means 

 are resorted to but such as are plainly point- 

 ed out by nature. In order to bring fruit 

 to a large size I have used means which 

 have considerably increased the size of the 

 fruit, but the flavour has been rendered in- 

 sipid by it. 



The manner of thinning fruit which I 

 adopt in reference to Peach, Nectarine, or 

 Apricot trees is, always to take them off by 

 means of a pair of small pointed scissors, 

 such as are generally used for the thinning 

 of Grapes, it is a far superior method to that 

 of pinching and pulling them off, for harm 

 is generally done to those that are to remain, 

 by injuring their footstalks, which ought 

 carefully to be avoided. For if the footstalk 

 of the fruit is injured to the middle of it, the 

 fruit is almost certain to drop from the tree; 

 and if it happens to survive such injury, it is 

 always stinted afterwards in its growth, and 

 certain to be of a bad flavour. 



Respecting the quantity of fruit each diffe- 

 rent kind of tree must be allowed to bring to 

 perfection, it will be directed in the article 

 on the treatment of each respectively. 



The quantity recommended to-be retained 

 in the articles alluded to is calculated for a 

 tree in a vigorous bearing condition, but 



