FRUIT TREES UNDER CONTROL. 393 



FRUIT TREES UNDER CONTROL. 



E. H. S. DARTT, OWATONNA. 

 (Read before the Southern Minnesota Horticultural Society.) 



Men, animals and things are useful to the world according to the 

 amount of wise control that is exerted over them. Man is usually- 

 controlled by law, whilst animals and things are largely controlled 

 by man. He breeds the horse to his liking, halter-breaks it, gets it 

 accustomed to the bit and harness and, lastly, obtains perfect con- 

 trol by the judicious use of the whip and spur. 



In regard to the fruit tree, he has neglected its breeding and has 

 seldom tried to exert any control over it, he has coaxed it and petted 

 it, and let it have its own way until it is a deplorable question as to 

 which is boss, the tree or the man. 



In the case of the barren fig tree, he dug about it, hoping that 

 cultivation might make it productive. Cultivation is more likely to 

 promote wood growth than it is to cause fruitfulness. Had he 

 girdled it also, he would have done just the right thing. By means 

 of girdling we can secure as perfect control over the tree as we now 

 have over the horse. We can say to the young tree: " Give us a 

 sample of your fruit so that we can judge whether it be good or 

 evil," and it is likely to comply with our request. We may command 

 the barren tree to stop its foolishness and give us fruit, and it will 

 obey. In very fruitful seasons it is desirable to have part of our 

 trees defer bearing till the next year. To accomplish this we remove 

 the fruit and girdle at the proper time. We also test the hardiness 

 of the tree. Tenacity of life is measured by the amount of injury 

 an animal or plant can receive and still live, and in the case of the 

 tree it seems fortunate that we are now able to inflict injury to any 

 desired degree and obtain results in a year instead of waiting in- 

 definitely for the injury to come through the effects of a very cold 

 winter or a very dry summer. In this climate, the first of July seems 

 about the best time to girdle. If it is done much earlier, the wound 

 heals over perfectly, and little or no effect is produced. The theory 

 is that by checking the downward flow of sap, the elements of 

 growth taken in through the leaves are held in the branches and 

 cause the formation of fruit buds, which are developed the next 

 season. 



The work is best done with a saw, by the spiral method, starting 

 in just below the limbs and cutting to the wood down around the 

 tree at an angle of forty-five degrees. For a very severe test, go 

 twice around. This will not kill a hardy tree, and a tender tree is 

 better dead than alive. On trees and limbs one inch or less in 

 diameter, I use a knife instead of a saw, being careful to cut clear 

 to the wood, for it is the disturbing of the cambium layer that pro- 

 duces the effect. Most people believe that to girdle means to kill, 

 and I am receiving rough treatment for advocating a practice that 

 they say is in direct opposition to the laws of nature. While I am 

 girdling extensively with beneficial results, I advise other people to 

 experiment a little just to see how they like it. I firmly believe that 

 when girdling is understood and judiciously practiced, there will 

 be millions in it for the people. 



