KINGING THE VINE. 417 



a knife, though a peculiar kind of shears has 

 been invented, with which it is neatly and 

 quickly done. Fig. 169 is a copy of a fruit cane 

 on which the operation has been performed. 

 Two incisions are made half an inch or less 

 apart, nearly an eighth of an inch deep, and 

 extending entirely around the cane. The bark 

 between the incisions must be taken out clean. 

 If done early in the season, the bark will peel 

 off ; but on old wood it becomes necessary to 

 use the knife. By this operation the return 

 of the sap is mostly prevented, vital action is 

 intensified above the incision, and the ripening 

 process greatly hastened. As the result, the 

 berries are increased in size, and ripen before 

 their natural time; but the ripening process, in 

 consequence of being driven too fast, has elab 

 orated the juices of the fruit imperfectly, and 

 the fruit is, therefore, deteriorated in quality. 

 In other words, we have gained size and earli- 

 ness at the expense of goodness, which is no 

 gain at all. The deterioration will be in pro 

 portion to the earliness at which the operation; 

 is performed. It may be done at any time 

 between the formation of the fruit and the 

 period of coloring; the later the better, so far 

 as the quality of the fruit is concerned. It i& 



27 



