RINGING GRAPES 295 



girdle the same vine only every other year; others girdle 

 two of the four arms grown in the Kniffin system of train- 

 ing. All agree that heavy fertilizing is necessary to keep 

 up the vigor of girdled vines. All weak-looking vines are 

 It-t't ungirdled. 



"The time for girdling is shortly after the fruit is formed, 

 and when the young grape is about the size of a pea. It 

 is done by removing a ring of bark nearly an inch broad 

 from the arm or branch of last year's wood. One or two 

 shoots of the present season's growth should be left back of 



206. Grape ringing-knife. 



the girdle for renewal, or for the next season's bearing wood. 

 A knife is made specially for this purpose; its form is shown 

 in the illustration (Fig. 206) . It consists of two hooked 

 blades, attached to a wooden handle, parallel to each other 

 and about seven -eighths of an inch apart. The inner part 

 of each blade is filed to a cutting edge. A chisel -shaped 

 knife is fastened on the back of the handle. In operation 

 the blades are hooked over the vine and the handle passed 

 around it, at the same time holding the blades firmly on the 

 vine; this will cut two lines seven-eighths of an inch apart 

 through the bark. The knife is then lifted from the vine, 

 turned over, and with the chisel-shaped part the ring of 

 bark is severed and lifted from its place. The whole opera- 

 tion is performed in a few seconds. 



" The grapes should be removed from the shoots left grow- 

 ing back of the girdle, as it is desirable that these shoots 

 should make a vigorous growth of wood for bearing fruit 

 the next season. The vine beyond the girdle makes a great 

 growth of wood and fruit, and the edge of the girdled spot 

 calluses and partly overgrows the naked wood. Shortly 



