RINGING 283 



experiment. If the whole plantation is fruitless, 

 and has yet received all the care which legiti- 

 mately makes for fruitfulness, then ring all the 

 trees ; then if they do not bear, graft them or cut 

 them down. Ringing is sometimes done on young 

 trees in test plantations to bring them early into 

 bearing, but young trees are often seriously in- 

 jured thereby. 



Ringing is usually done about the time growth 

 begins to start. It is well to experiment on one 

 or two branches first. Run the point of a knife- 

 blade around the stem, sinking it to the wood. 

 This will usually be sufficient; but removing an 

 inch of bark at this season of the year usually 

 does no harm if the tree is vigorous (see page 116) . 

 I have known rings six inches wide, on apple 

 trees, to heal perfectly in a single season, with no 

 dressings applied; but such wounds are unneces- 

 sary and dangerous. 



Ringing to increase the size and hasten the 

 maturity of fruits is such a well-known practice 

 that reputable societies have long refused to award 

 premiums to fruits which have been modified in 

 this way.* The quality usually suffers. It is 

 customary to make the ring just after the fruit has 

 set, so that individual specimens may be selected. 

 A strip of bark a quarter of an inch wide is often 

 taken out. The part above the ring should bear 



*See, for example, page 203, 4th Ed. "Horticulturist's Rule-Book." 



