MISCELLANIES 291 



Thus, not infrequently, the plant's vitality is seriously drained. 

 Nevertheless, vineyards may be found in which ringing has 

 been extensively practiced many seasons in succession and 

 which continue to yield profitable crops, the growers having 

 learned to perform the work of ringing so as to injure the vines 

 but little. 



Ringing without harm to the plant depends much on the wa}' 

 in which the vines have been pruned.* For instance, if the 

 vines are pruned to the two-arm Kniffin method, the ringing 

 of bark should be done from both arms just beyond the fifth 

 bud. Thus, the ten buds left on the vine produce enough 

 leaf surface to supply the food necessary to keep the vine in 

 vigorous condition. When the four-arm Kniffin method is 

 used, the two top arms only are ringed, and even so three or 

 four buds must be left on each for renewals. Whatever the 

 method of training, it will be seen from these examples that 

 some unringed wood must be left to the vine with which to 

 supply leafy shoots to support the vine. Some growers ring 

 their vines only every other year, thus giving them an oppor- 

 tunity to recover from whatever loss of vigor they may have 

 sustained in the season of ringing. 



Several other considerations are important in ringing : First, 

 the vines must not be permitted to carry too large a crop. 

 Again, the amount of fruit on the ringed portion of the vine 

 must depend on the amount of leaf surface not only of the 

 plant but of the ringed arms, each ringed arm acting somewhat 

 independently so far as its crop is concerned. If too many 

 clusters are left on the ringed arms, it always follows that the 

 fruit is inferior and often worthless. Lastly, all fruit be- 

 tween the rings and the trunk must be removed, for it does 

 not mature properly and so adds only to the drain on the 

 plant's vitality. 



As to the results, it is certain from the experiments that have 

 been conducted and from the experience of grape-growers, that 



