Norwich bulletin., 1917-08-09
BROWN ON SUMMER PRUNING.
Experts Say Apple Trees Do Better il
 Not Touched.

There is some question in the minds , of fruit growers in regard to summer
 pruning. Many orchardists favor the idea, while a great many successful ] men will have nothing to do with it. Recent experiments, however, do not give proof of sufficient advantage gain ed from summer pruning of young apple trees to warrant going aheal with it this season. Bulletin 40 to the Utah experiment station discusses at length the experiments conducted by that station on the pruning of young apple trees. The summary states that summer pruned trees average less
 marketable fruit per trees than either the winter pruned or unpruned trees. The experiment was carried through four years on nine plots lafed out sin ilarly and arranged to bring out several distinct facts. The bulletin also states
 that summer pruning in the orchard has proved neither profitable nor sue
 cessful in increasing crop yields. Al though the experiment is only in it's first stages (four years being too short period to decide the matter) there seems to be sufficient evidence to war pruning extending throughout a pe- riod of two months, between the third week in June and third week in Au- gust. produced no favorable results. On the other hand, all winter pruned orchards did exceptionally well.
 The thinning of apples is more and more coming into common practice IS it is proving successful in the local orchards. Although the thinning comes at a time when the orchardist is very busy with other work, it has been tried out on several orchards with great success.
 This season in particular seems to be an excellent opportunity for testing the practical side of thinning. Select several trees which are of uniform eli foIs 3-G G <@I condition and which have all had the same treatment in regard to fertilizer and cultivation. With these condi- tions in view, 1t will be very easy to practice thinning on one or two of these trees and compare the results in the fall. The gambling of a. littla time in this matter may produce su-e satisfactory results that it will change the entire plans of another year.
 Recently an orchard was found which earlier in the season had been loaded with young apple sets and Sow the drops which have accumulated un- der the trees have brought forward statements to the effect that there would have been still less apples on the tree if they had been thinned earlier. This is no argument against thinning of apples. All the drops which are now on the ground are the result of some insect which has pune tured the apple, retarded its growth, I apples are liable to drop from one branch and none from another. Thus although they reduce the total load on the trees, they do not affect t0c distribution of weight or the possibf1i- ty of producing higher color by having individual apples six or eight inches apart and distributed along the branch.
 The time for thinning is not fixed definitely, but it may be done any time from the latter part of June to the latter part of July. As a general rule the thinning of apples should be doshe as soon as possible. This allows a greater amount of plant food to be utilized by the apples that remain on the thinned tree. However, this should not be carried to extremes by thinning the bloom instead of thinning the ap- ples which of course is out of the question now.
 To thin the fruit on the trees and leave the apples a definite distance apart is a difficult manner. One may pies. and at picking time wish he had taken off more. Study each tree in dividually. Thin so that the tree VIII hold up under a load of good sized apples. It is well to begin at the top of the tree and work down. If there is any difference in distances to be made it would be better to thin six or eight inches on top and nine or ten inches nearer the bottom in the more shady part of the tree. Take off all terminal apples from long, slender branches. A good type of thinning shears can be obtained on the market which are sharp pointed. It is much easier and better to thin with such an