Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-05-26
URGES FRUIT THINNING
PROF. LEWIS SHOWS ADVANTAGE
TO BE GAINED THEREBY.
Methods and Time For Doing the
Work in Oregon Orchards
Explained.

The time for thinning fruit is close
at hand, so the advice given by an
expert authority, such as Prof. Y, !.
Lewis. Of the oregon Agricultural
College horticulture department, is
most timely.
..While the practice of thinning
fruit is generally followed by our pro-
gressive growers Professor Lewis says
nevertheless, there are growers VINO
do not pay close attention TO tne
thinning. There is no one practlce
in orcharding that will pay larger diV-
idends than thinning. It means thF
difference between first-class Iruis
and Gull fruit.
..Thinning is helpful in many ways.
First, it gives large per cent Oh soou
fruit. In thinning all malformeu'
wormy and diseased fruit must pc
removed. leaving only the best. rms
will greatly reduce the number o.
culls that will have to be handieo ~
the fall. and will give larger per-
centage Of high class fruit, reducing
the amount of culls to the minimum
have known growers to have only
one box of culls out of 1900 boxes O
apples.
Spraying and Thinning.
.9,his can only be obtained by ell
cient spraying, followed by careIu
thinning. Probably the cost OF thlh
ming would be much less than the cos
az handling large amount OF cul
fruits. Thinning also has very CLOS
relation to the size of the fruit. I'M
Is very valuable in fruit like tn
neaches. There is no money in grow
ing Gull or pie peaches, while there
lots of money in growing and mana
ling frst-class peaches, pears, apricot
and similar fruits.
with apples, the largest 40 no
bring the best prices. The trade seem
to want medium sized fruit. 1t
nossible to regulate the size OF IN
apple by judicious thinning. Tnlnnih
gives better color to the fruit, as
allows the sunlight to play all arount
BY judicious thinning, too, the VITA
ity Of the tree can be greatly saVe'
Thinning also reduces the NUMBER
seeds produced. AS the season draw
70 a close. where the tree is producin
a large amount Of seed, the dram
the tree is very heavy Judicioi
thinning will go a long way towar
making the trees annual bearers.
trees are allowed to set too heavy OF
year. they will not set we'll the folloV
ing wear. This habit can be overcon
by thinning, and modify It to a col
siderable degree.
Effects ON Varieties.
"From experiments / have conduc
ed with the yellow apples ana son
varieties of pears at the Oregon u
neriment Station, and also in Southel
Oregon, Ihave found that where
the fruit Is removed from certa
spurs. they are apt to produce u
second season. With some varietit
in order to obtain success, two spec
mems should be left on certain spu
and none on others. The typical sp
produces fruit one year and WOOD {
next. With red varieties OF appi'
where two specimens come together
prevents high coloring. There
nrobably a little greater danger
windfalls where there is more FRI
on a spur than just one specimen
',Pruning and thinning have We
close relation, as pruning is often t
thinning out of undesirable beari
wood. Cherries, for example
thinned by pruning; the same is tr
Of most of the small fruits. Reduci
runners of strawberries is form
thinning. Prunes are also thinned
nruning. as with this variety of fr
we must produce a certain amount
strong wood each year in order
nroduee size. The same holds II
with peaches. Give them good, vig'
Gus. annual pruning, removing abt
three-fourths of last years grow
and from half to three-fourths OF
fruit on the remaining wood. only
sueh practice can the finest specim'
of fruit be obtained.
Time to Thin.
'The time to thin is after the Ju
drop, though some growers thin
fore this. l believe it is unwise to
so until we have studied the dr
question a little more closely. Wh'
large orchards are to be thinned G
must begin early, when the fruit
not larger than a hazel nut. w
small orchards II is a good plan
thin more than once during a seas
In thinning one should leave the b
specimens. In some fruits this VIII
the center fruit, and in others
outside fruit The amount of tn
ming viii be controlled by the varie
size amount of fruit set and so
The yellow Newtown apple viii of