210 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
GIRDLING TO PRODUCE EARLY BEARING. 
E. H. S. DARTT, OWATONNA. 
Icommenced girdling about three or four yearsago. I wasin 
the orchard, the experimental orchard, and I noticed a limb on 
which were four or five nice apples, and that tree did not have 
another apple in sight, neither that tree nor any other tree. I dis- 
covered that atwig had been girdled bya label wire; I had been 
careless and let it remain, and the limb became girdled and pro- 
duced apples. From that time on I have been girdling quite exten- 
sively. I first girdled by removing a ring of bark around the tree 
with aknife. I made acleancut right around the tree about one- 
eighth of an inch wide and took that bark out in June, and the next 
season the tree blossomed, and there was an abundanceofapples. I 
gota great many apples inthat way. The next year I commenced 
to girdle by what I call the spiral method; I took a saw and sawed 
around spirally until I got around the tree; I sawed clear into the 
wood. You have got to go clear into the wood. That plan also 
worked well. There were but a very few trees that were girdled in 
that way that died. I suppose it induced bark blight or sun scald, 
and some of them died. Girdling has the effect of throwing the 
trees into bearing. I have many young trees that have borne 
well this past season; trees that were girdled blossomed profusely; 
there was a great crop of little apples, about as big as peas, when 
that freeze came along about the first of June and made a clean 
sweep of everything. I did not get any apples, but the effect was 
visible in the large setting of apples. Then, later on I girdled by a 
different method. I girdled by what I call the surface method. 
Down close to the ground I sawed away a piece with the saw. I cut 
about half way around the tree on one side; then a little higher up 
or lower down I cut half around on the other side. That method is 
the best of all. 
A good many of the trees were attacked with bark blight and 
died, but those that died were generally of doubtful character as 
to hardiness and a little inclined to blight. Healthy, strong, well 
established varieties were not much affected that way. That I shall 
treat of in my tree station report. I shall give all these conditions 
of fact. Many object to girdling because it will kill the trees. Of 
course girdling means to kill. You need not be afraid that it will 
kill in May or June, and if you are a little afraid just take limbs and 
try it for once. I have trees that have been twice girdled and been 
brought into bearing by girdling, and they are now in a good: 
healthy condition. Of course, this season Iam delighted with the 
effect; I have killed so many trees. (Laughter). I think it is a test 
of hardiness; itis just as good asa hard winter. Wedo not know 
what they are worth in those mild winters. I had over one thou- 
sand grafted varieties, and I know in the ordinary course of things 
a great many of them must be worthless; perhaps ;%. I havea lot 
of seedlings grown from the original planting of seeds of which 
#3; will prove worthless on account of blighting or poor quality of 
fruit, for want of hardiness or something else that an apple tree is 
