Thf Principles of Fruit-growing. 



Fig. 45. A young trunk girdled 

 by a label wire. 



be scraped down to the quick 

 that is, only the loose ex- 

 terior portion should be re 

 moved. 



Girdled trees, and gird- 

 ling. Trees which are girdled 

 should have the injured parts 

 pared down to live tissue and 

 the wounded surface then 

 covered with an antiseptic, 

 dressing. It is also advis- 

 able to bind up the girdle 

 with some material like 

 grafting -wax, which will 

 keep the wood moist and 

 thereby allow the ascent 

 of the sap ; for the sap 

 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 the sap which is re- 

 distributed through the tree after 

 it has been elaborated in the 

 leaves ; that is, the reparative 

 tissue is formed by elaborated 

 sap which is on its downward 

 course. If the woody tissue 

 is kept soft and fresh, the tree 

 may continue to live for yoars, 

 but there will be a deposition 



