448 



THINNING FRUIT 



judicious thinning. Evidence to date disproves the assertion, 

 at least for the apple. Note the statement on this factor imder 

 ^Thinning Peaches/' It has been noted, however, that trees 

 thai have borne a moderate crop seem to possess greater resist- 

 ance to severe winter temperatures than trees that have carried 

 an excessive crop. 



3. Determining Time to Thin. Growers are familiar with 

 a natural dropping of fruit usually occurring in June and 

 commonly termed the '^June drop.'' This is probably due in 

 part to lack of sufficient water and food for all the specimens 

 and in part to diseases on the stem and to insect injuries. 

 There is little doubt that lack of sufficient water and nitrates 

 for all the fruit influences the dropping of individuals on weak 

 spurs and those with few seeds (faulty pollination). 



Thinning should preferably follow the Jime drop while the 

 fruits are small, but it has been found that the period during 

 which thinning may be done to advantage is more extended 

 than previously supposed. Early thinning, however, will 

 allow the moisture, mineral nutrients, and elaborated foods to 

 be used by the fruits v>'hich are to remain on the tree rather 

 than by those which are to be removed. The most common 

 mistake in thinning is to fail to remove enough fruit. Growers 

 have found that additional thinning later in the season has 

 given good results, though not so marked results as that done 

 soon after the June drop. 



4, Thinning Apples. Remove the specimens inferior in 

 size, those malformed and defective, and those so located on 

 the under sides of the lower branches as not to color well. Take 

 off in addition enough good specimens so that those that re- 

 main are at least 6 to 8 inches apart, except that a few apples 

 close together on a limb with large leaf area will size up well. 

 The amount of leaf area per apple should be considered. Some 

 varieties tend to set fruit in clusters. Xot more than one 

 fruit should be left on a spur. This will usually be the center 

 one if it is a good specimen, since it is in a more favorable 

 position for growth than the others. Apples should not be 



