GARDEN CULTURE. 173 



would in their wild state, but the process is a slow and 

 tedious one at best. 



Girdling the Vine. This operation, though often 

 producing remarkable results, is still of questionable 

 utility. That it causes the fruit to grow much beyond 

 its natural size is certain, but the quality is never im- 

 proved, and usually very much injured. The practical 

 results of such an operation seem to be, to cause the 

 fruit to assume the appearance of ripeness much earlier 

 than it would otherwise, and become so much increased 

 in size as often to take the prizes at horticultural shows, 

 where the judges are often influenced by appearance 

 instead of quality. Many a dropsical cluster of grapes 

 has been awarded a premium over the rich, well-ripened 

 cluster of the same variety, merely because it had a fine 

 appearance. But some of our leading horticultural soci- 

 eties now notify exhibitors that grapes from girdled 

 vines will not be allowed on the exhibitors' tables. 



The girdling may be done at any time in the spring 

 after the vine starts, up to the time the fruit is fully 

 grown. But unless it is done several weeks before the 

 fruit commences to ripen, it will have but little effect. 

 The best time to perform the operation is just before, or 

 soon after, the fruit is set. The mode of operation is as 

 follows : Cut away a ring of the bark, from one-fourth 

 to one-half inch wide, clear to the true wood. It may 

 be performed on old wood, or upon the young canes 

 when they have made a foot or two of growth, but the 

 last year's wood is preferable, and it should be done only 

 on that which you intend to prune away. 



The incision is always made below the bunch which 

 it is desired to affect. The bunches above the incision 

 become much larger than those below it ; this is said to 

 be caused by the obstruction of the downward flow of 

 the sap to the roots. 



The practice of girdling the vine for the purpose of 

 affecting the fruit is supposed to have been invented 



