RINGING GRAPES. 



This process is the removal of a small 

 section of the bark surrounding the cane 

 for the purpose of obstructing the down- 

 ward flow of sap, which is thereby caused 

 to accumulate in excessive quantities in 

 the portions of the cane above the ring, 

 and to supply these portions richly with 

 food materials. Experiments were tried 

 last summer to test the results of ring- 

 ing on several varieties. The rings of 

 bark were removed in the period be- 

 tween June 27 and July 5, when the 

 grapes were from one-third to one-half 

 grown. The width of the ring removed 

 in most cases was one-half inch, but on 

 some canes only one-fourth inch. The 

 following notes taken at the time of 

 ripening indicate the results on each 

 variety : — 



Concord showed the first on the 

 ringed canes to be slightly larger and a 

 day or two in advance of the fruit of the 

 rest of the vine. 



Cambridge showed the fruit on the 

 ringed canes to be larger, of better qual- 

 ity, and two or three days, earlier than 

 that on other canes. 



Brighton showed no difference in 

 size, but three days difference in earli- 

 ness. 



Columbian Imperial showed very 

 great difference in size, the berries aver- 

 aged one-fifth larger on the ringed than 

 on the unringed canes, while the ringed 

 canes ripened fruit two weeks earlier 

 than other canes of the same vines. 



Agawain showed only a slight differ- 

 ence in size and earliness. 



Herbert showed no difference except 

 that the fruit on the ringed canes was 

 poorer in quality than the rest. 



Moore's Early showed no perceptible 

 difference in size, quality or earliness. 



Niagara showed the fruit on the ring- 

 ed canes to be two days earlier and 

 slightly superior in quality to that on the 

 canes. 



The Delaware showed better and 

 earlier fruit on the ringed than on the 

 unringed canes, but showed the best 

 fruit where only a small section of the 

 bark had been removed. 



The best results were obtained on 

 canes where the bark overgrew the sec- 

 tions from which it had been removed. 

 Where the bark overgrows section about 

 the time the first begin to ripen the 

 surplus food material in the cane is 

 drawn away into the lower parts of the 

 vine and the fruit ripens with only a 

 normal quantity of food material present. 

 If the section is not overgrown, the ex- 

 cess of food remains, the fruit is forced 

 to ripen with this excess on hand, and 

 hence ripens improperly. 



The width of the section of bark to 

 be removed should vary according to 

 the vigor of the cane and the variety. 

 On strong canes of vigorous varieties 

 three-fourths of an inch is not too much 

 while on feeble varieties one-fourth of 

 an inch may be sufficient. 



W. L. Hall. 



Kansas State, Agricultural College. 



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