Treating Girdled Trees 291 



antiseptic dressing. It is also advisable to bind up the 

 girdle with some material like grafting-wax, that will 

 keep the wood moist and thereby allow the ascent of the 

 sap-water; for the water rises in the tree through the 

 young soft wood, and not between the wood and the bark. 

 The bark is formed over the wound by material that is 

 redistributed through the tree after it has been elaborated 

 in the leaves; that is, the reparative tissue on the trunk 

 is formed by elaborated sap that is on its downward 

 course. If the woody tissue is kept soft and fresh, the 

 tree may continue to live for years, but there will be a 

 deposition of woody matter above the girdle, while the 

 part below will not increase in diameter. This is well 

 known to all observing fruit-growers. After a while the 

 younger wood is likely to become hard and dry, prevent- 

 ing the upward passage of root-water, and the tree then 

 starves to death; or, the top may become so heavy that 

 the plant breaks off at the point of constriction. It is, 

 therefore, necessary that the orchardist give careful atten- 

 tion to his label wires, to prevent them from doing great 

 injury. It is always best to take the nursery labels from 

 young trees when they are set, and to depend on a map 

 record for the names of the varieties; or, if the label is 

 left on the tree, it is best to hang it on one of the minor 

 limbs, rather than on the trunk; or a less dangerous 

 label may be substituted. In adjusting the label wire to 

 the tree, it is important that only the ends of the wire be 

 twisted together, thereby providing a large loop in which 

 the limb may expand. The label may be held tightly to 

 the limb by pinching the wires together with the fingers. 

 Trees freshly girdled in the growing time of spring may 

 be expected to heal over before the season is past, if the 

 girdled zone is not more than 4 or 5 inches wide, and if the 



