RINGING GRAPES 287 



which have extended to the present time, and have given 

 invaluable results. The following analyses of grapes, 

 which grew from vines girdled by him July 5, were reported 

 by Dr. Goessmann in Bulletin 7 of the Massachusetts 

 Hatch Experiment Station in 1890 : 



September 20. Ringed. Not ringed. 



Moisture at 100 C 83.00 per ct. 84.69 per ct. 



Ash 42 per ct. . . per ct. 



Sugar 8.13 per ct. 6.24 per ct. 



Soda solution required to neutralize acid 84.4 C.C. 75 C.C. 



October 1. 



Moisture at 100 C 82.69 per ct. 85.51 per ct. 



Ash 37 per ct. .53 per ct. 



Sugar 8.50 per ct. 6.09 per ct. 



Soda solution required to neutralize acid 50 CO. 48 C.C. 



"In every case the amount of sugar was greater in the 

 ringed grapes. 



" The experiments at the Massachusetts College were, on 

 the whole, satisfactory, and seemed to show that ringing is 

 advisable, and that it does not injure the vine ; but Dr. 

 Fisher's experiments upon a larger scale, which are detailed 

 below, show opposite results." 



Dr. Jabez Fisher on Ringing 



"Knowing that a number of cultivators had girdled their 

 grape vines for two or three years with satisfactory results, 

 and noting the commendation which began to come from the 

 Massachusetts Agricultural College, I determined to ascertain 

 how much value there might be in the method. I could find 

 no account of any careful experiments directed to this end, 

 and having three acres of bearing Concord vines, well sit- 

 uated for comparative experimentation, I decided to try 

 girdling a few of them. The girdling was done in July, 



