IV. EXPERIMENTS IN RINGING GRAPE 



TINES.* 



Wendell, Paddock. 



SUMMARY. 



Experiments in ringing grape vines were begun in 1896 and 

 continued through two seasons. The first season the effect on 

 the fruit of some varieties was very marked. Fruit on ringed 

 vines of Empire State was not only larger in both bunch and berry, 

 but began ripening 21 days before fruit of unringed vines. 

 Other varieties did not show any gain in size or earlier maturing 

 of the fruit when ringed. 



The fruit of some varieties, as the Delaware, showed a lack 

 of quality when ringed, while thin-skinned varieties, as the 

 Worden, showed a greater tendency to crack when grown on 

 ringed vines. 



The second season the effect of ringing was not nearly so 

 marked thus showing that the season has something to do with 

 results obtained. 



That the effect of ringing is devitalizing to the plant there can 

 be little doubt, but when judiciously managed the cumulative ef- 

 fect on strong growing varieties need not result disastrously. 



INTRODUCTION. . 



Briefly stated, the operation of girdling, or more properly speak- 

 ing, ringing, grape vines consists in removing a ring of bark from 

 the bearing arm about an inch wide or wide enough so that the 

 bark will not heal over the wood that has been laid bare. 



Reprint of Bulletin No. 151. 



