Rocky Ford enterprise., 1911-08-04
Thinning of Fruit.

that orchard conditions should be, to
large extent, under the control of
the orchardist. Thus the western
fruit grower was the first to attempt
controlling natural conditions through
the so-called smudging to prevent
frost injury in spring. This is prob
ably the result of education he had
received through controlling other
natural conditions such as the moist
ure control. In this intensive work |
the western fruit grower takes the op-
posite view from the Russian peasant |
who says that if the good Lord wants |
him to have crop, he will have a |
crop, otherwise he will not We have |
reached the stage of civilization and
enlightenment where we realize that |
in agricultural pursuits we are not fol-
lowing natural pursuits, we are not
following natures plan in its entirety
While we cannot work to cross pur-
poses with nature. yet we may guide
nature so as to produce a given result
rather than that at which nature orig
inally aimed. In all products OF trees
and plants, nature starts out with the
purpose OF developing seed with the
ultimate object of reproducing the
plant. 1t would seem in looking over
IAN orchard at blooming time that ma
| ture is indeed prodigal of its flowers,
| and such is the case, for though COM
paratiyely small per cent of flowers
| on a tree or plant produce fruits,
there are nearly always more fruits
started on tree than the parent plant
can bring to full maturity. Again,
with our fruit crops, the fruit tissue
is not natures object in producing the
fruit. Its only object is to attract an
imals that by devouring the fruit may
disseminate the seed. Our object is
not to produce seeds in fruit, but to
produce the tissue surrounding the
seed. Consequently, we work more or
less at cross purposes with nature.
1t has been argued for many years
that the artificial thinning of fruit is
unnecessary, and by some people that
it is detrimental Even some of our
lest horticulturists within the past
ten years have maintained that with
many of our varieties of apples it is
time wasted to do any thinning. Re-
peated experiments, however, have
proved this to be fallacy. Several
objects may be attained from the thin
ming of apples. First and probably
most important, the number OF the
;ruit picked in the fall will be UP to
standard in size and, of course, have
better color, favor and keeping quail
tiles. This has been proven time and
time again to be true.
| The next result that may be expect
ed is the maintenance of vigor of the
tree. 1t is not SO common for apple
trees to bear themselves to death as
it is with plum and peach. yet many OF
our varieties of apples, after heavy
crop take year off in which to recu-
perate and produce buds for another
crop. This we sometimes say is the
habit of the tree. We believe, how
ever, that if thinning were systematic
lily done each year this habit, so call
ed, would never be formed We do
not need proof to believe that tree
that does not overbear will be more
vigorous and longer lived than the one
that grows free one year then pro-
duces an over load OF fruit the next.
The usual objection to thinning is
investigation is needed to determine
whether this be true. Experiments in
the East performed by the writer
with the Baldwin apple show that the
cost OF trimming was practically off
set by the decreased cost in picking
1t harvest time. That is. where two
hours were spent in thinning a tree in
June, the two hours were made I'D in
October in lessened time for pick
ing the product. The total yield per
tree was very slightly cut down, BUT
the difference in value of the apples on
The thinned trees over those of the
nnthinned was something over SI.so
Der tree i'll favor OF the thinned trees. |
Last year the experiments with Wine
,aps at Paonia, gave returns approx |
mating those of the experiment in the |
East. That is. the cost OF thinning
which was about o. cents was largely |
offset by the gain in picking in the |
tall, and the difference in grade, there |
fore the difference in price of the fruit |
IN the fall was very materially in favor |
Df the thinned trees. OF course this |
would not pay so readily with varie-
ties that tend to fewer numbers OF |
apples per tree. In fact, some varie- |
ties probably seldom If ever need thin
ning. These varieties, however, are
not the. ones that are being planted in
Colorado today, as it is most profita-
BILE to plant the heavy bearing varie-
ties. then thin to the required number
than to take chances on being too few
apples to give the desired yields.
Time to Thin. Probably the best
time to thin is Immediately after the
June drop. This year the June drop,
in northern Colorado, was practically
June IS. However, thinning during
July gives nearly as good returns and
is less Objectionable from the stand
point of the possibility of apples fall
ing after the thinning is done.
How Thinning Should be Done. In
thinning the operator must aim to
take off the apples that would in any
case be culls. That is, those that are
seriously under size, that have been
stung by cucurlio or codling moth,
that are limb bruised, and in any 9TH
er way injured SO as not to make a
perfect specimen No two apples
should be left together
In fact, for a general rule, We would