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(emacs)Backup Deletion

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Automatic Deletion of Backups
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   To prevent excessive consumption of disk space, Emacs can delete
numbered backup versions automatically.  Generally Emacs keeps the
first few backups and the latest few backups, deleting any in between.
This happens every time a new backup is made.

   The two variables `kept-old-versions' and `kept-new-versions'
control this deletion.  Their values are, respectively, the number of
oldest (lowest-numbered) backups to keep and the number of newest
(highest-numbered) ones to keep, each time a new backup is made.  The
backups in the middle (excluding those oldest and newest) are the
excess middle versions--those backups are deleted.  These variables'
values are used when it is time to delete excess versions, just after a
new backup version is made; the newly made backup is included in the
count in `kept-new-versions'.  By default, both variables are 2.

   If `delete-old-versions' is non-`nil', Emacs deletes the excess
backup files silently.  If it is `nil', the default, Emacs asks you
whether it should delete the excess backup versions.

   Dired's `.' (Period) command can also be used to delete old versions.
Note: Dired Deletion.