28 STORRS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
THINNING FRUIT. 
BY E. R. BENNETT. 
/ 
In thinning fruit, one or more of four benefits may be ex- 
pected to result: (1) Maintaining the vigor of the tree; (2) 
producing fruit of maximum size, appearance, and quality; (3) 
securing annual crops instead of alternate; (4) preventing the 
spread of parasitic diseases. 
Vigor and thrift of the tree is one of the first essentials in 
producing and maintaining a good orchard. To obtain this 
end everything must be avoided that will tend to retard the 
‘natural, regular growth. When a tree is developing a heavy 
crop of fruit, it makes very little, if any, growth of wood, and 
seldom produces fruit buds for the following year. ‘These facts 
are indications that the vital energy of the tree has been over- 
taxed, and one or two years are required to get back the normal 
vigor of the tree. Not infrequently trees die from the effects 
of overbearing. At best the exhaustion caused by overbearing 
leaves the tree in poor condition to withstand the attacks of 
hard winters and insect enemies and fungous diseases. 
Overbearing is often a source of trouble with young trees. 
There is a well known rule among stock breeders that no 
animal should be allowed to produce young until it has reached 
a certain stage of maturity. This law is applicable to plants as 
well as to animals. Some varieties have a tendency to bear 
very young. Adundance plums bear while in the nursery row 
and are in consequence short lived. Trees with this habit 
should be thinned very severely at first, and the amount of fruit 
increased gradually from year to year until the tree is developed. 
Thinning fruit to increase its size and improve its appearance 
has been carried on to a limited extent for a long time. This 
work has mostly been done to produce fruit for show purposes 
or for a fancy trade. It is generally understood that while 
thinning does increase size and improve the appearance and > 
