Thinning fruit is not practiced as it should be, particularly on the apple; old trees are often too fruitful, so much so as not only to deteriorate the fruit, but to injure the tree itself. This is so much the case with certain varieties, as to constitute a serious objection to planting them; other sorts so exhaust themselves by over-production in one season, as to be barren, or nearly so, the next year, during which period of rest they are able to recuperate their energies and to provide a new set of flower-buds. These are called biennial bearers, and such are quite numerous in our orchards. Those kinds that are prone to overbear every year, are often objectionable on account of the diminished size and inferior character of their fruits, which result from this cause, particularly when the trees have become old. The great desideratum, especially with those who object to the trouble of thinning the fruit, is to find a variety that will produce an even or well distributed, continuous, and moderate yield--an annual bearer, that does not exhaust itself by the production of one enormous crop so as to require it to rest and recuperate. Such varieties are to be found in our collections, and should be highly prized. But to return to our topic, the bold method of reducing the crop by winter pruning, has already been alluded to, and is highly recommended for such old trees as have ceased producing thrifty shoots of wood-growth at their tips, and have taken on an excessive tendency to fruitage. There are other methods of producing this desired effect, diminishing the amount of fruit when excessive, and thereby greatly enlarging the size, and improving the flavor of that which is left behind: some of these will now be mentioned.