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som, and, indeed, as long as it remains on the trees, 

 for the blossom will soon become weak and the leaves 

 etiolated if this point be neglected. When, however, 

 a cutting east wind prevails, we make a point of leav- 

 ing the canvass on : such winds do much damage in 

 robbing both wall and tree of their heat. 



Thinning, — The first thinning should take place 

 when the fruit is about the size of peas, and should be 

 performed with care ; a small but blunt pointed pair 

 of scissors is often used with advantage, or the finger 

 and thumb, with a small pointed stick, is very well 

 adapted for removing them. At this thinning a few 

 only should be taken. The second thinning should 

 be performed when the fruit is about the size of small 

 gooseberries. If this second thinning could be dis- 

 pensed with, it would be of great advantage to the 

 trees ; but from such causes as overcropping the pre- 

 ceding year, and the multiplied causes which affect 

 the health of the trees, many of the fruit fall off during 

 the season of stoning, so that experience has proved 

 the necessity of leaving a few to be removed at this 

 season. The quantity of fruit each tree should bear 

 ought to be determined by the state of the tree itself. 

 Sickly and young trees should be allowed to bear 

 fewer fruit than the healthy and well-established 

 plants ; and in either case those varieties which pro- 

 duce large fruit should not be allowed to mature so 

 great a number as those which bear small fruit. Over- 



