958 Popular Editions of Station Bulletins. 



growth than similar trees not ringed, dropped their foliage early and 

 made less growth, particularly of roots. 



From these experiments it is clear that the first ringing of seedlings 

 influenced fruitfulness favorably and resulted in a good setting of 

 fruit without noticeable injury to the trees, but that subsequent 

 ringing did not produce similar effects. With the Baldwins the 

 results were all unfavorable to the practice. 



On young Bartlett pear trees ringed in 1912 by 

 Ringing inch bands, the formation of new bark was not satis- 

 other factory; and before the end of the next season half 

 fruits. of the ringed trees were dead and the others had made 

 such poor growth that they were discarded. Dig- 

 ging showed the root systems to be very poorly developed. 



Ringing is very seldom recommended for stone fruits; as trees of 

 this kind usually come into bearing earlier than apples and pears; 

 are not as hardy, are less resistant to external injuries and are shorter 

 lived. Nevertheless, some tests of the practice were made on both 

 plums and cherries, with even less satisfactory results than with the 

 pears. Few of the wounds healed perfectly, the foliage lost color 

 and dropped early, growth was stunted, and of all the trees treated 

 only one Montmorency cherry made any material growth the follow- 

 ing season. Where any fruit set, as it did on a few of the plum trees, 

 the ringing led to no increase in quantity, and to some decline in 



quality. 



" The results obtained from these experiments are 

 Conclusions, not favorable to ringing fruit trees as a general prac- 

 tice. Under some conditions, for a limited time, a 

 more favorable outcome might be expected. Hardy, vigorous, young 

 apple trees may readily undergo a single ringing and be benefited 

 thereby, but subsequent operations are injurious. Trees lacking 

 vigor are often seriously injured by the practice. The deleterious 

 effects of the treatment have generally been so marked upon various 

 plant organs as to render the operation exceedingly hazardous. 

 There seems to be no regular or systematic increase in fruit produc- 

 tion. The gains do not offset the losses." 



