The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-05-15

and the fore part OF June. Apples
should be thinned the latter part of
Tune and on through July. In fact, ap-
pies may be thinned when nearly
grown, with profit to those left on the
trees No fast and hard rules can be
laid down as to time. The best thing
to 60 by is experience. In this matter
we must feel our way into the greatest
proficiency.
The how of thinning in many cases
will depend on our experience. Ii the
tree is uniformly full all over the thin
ming must be much more thorough
than where there are many thin places
and too thick only in spots. The tree,
like a man or animal is capable of
CARRYING a certain load to successful
issue. 1t is better to have this load
evenly distributed, but where this can
not be done more than an average
burden may be given to some parts
that are very full. 1t frequently hap
pens that there are no peaches on the
lower limbs of a peach tree by reason
of frost. In such cases the top OF
the tree may be quite full and not be
+hinned at all. The same condition
prevails among apples and pears.
If a peach tree is uniformly full all
over. then I would advise thinning to
six inches apart. At the time the
thinning is done it will look as If you
were running your crop but when the
peaches are ripe you will find you
have plenty left If you thin to a
less distance, three or four inches, for
instance, you will find at picking time
that your peaches are too thick and
as result too small Nothing counts
in the peach business like large size.
I have never yet found peaches too
big for the demands of the market but
with apples I have. Small peaches,
though of excellent quality, will not
sell well. If, however, your peach trees
are full only in spots, you can leave
them much closer together. Our rule
is, where there are no peaches on the
lower limbs and the tops are pretty
full not to thin at all. Only experience
can guide you safely in this matter.
With APPLES it is not possible to lay
down rules for timing that will apply
in all cases. With some kinds, II you
thin to one in place it will be about
right. This is true with the Ben
Davis. Jonathan and many other va
rieties. But with apples that grow as
thick as the Missouri Pippin this rule
will not do In good many cases ali
must be taken off. I would not leave
apples nearer than four to six inches
apart. In the case of very large apples,
like the Black Twig and Northern Spy,
care must be used not to thin too
much. In most cases with these very
large apples I would not thin at all.
Last wear we sold 1909 boxes of Black
Twigs to one man and he would not
give as much by ten cents per box tor
the three and half and the four and
a half as he did for the four tiers. The
three and a half and the four and
half tiers sold at the same price. few
boxes of the Wolf River Gloria Mundi
and Red Bietigheimer may sell well
for fancy show apples, but If a man
had a carload of such stuff he would
be swamped completely. In thinning
remember that if your apples Will run
above tours they will be too large;
One thing must be carefully watched
and that is, we must not have the
limbs matted together. Where this is
the case we must use the primers and
hin out the limbs. If this was NOT
done at the time of the annual pruning
better do it in the summer. Apples