GARDEN CULTURE. 177 



an operation seem to be, to cause the fruit to assume the 

 appearance of ripeness much earlier than it would other- 

 wise, 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 va- 

 riety, merely because it had a fine appearance. 



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 com- 

 mences 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 prefera- 

 ble, 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 af- 

 fecting the fruit is supposed to have been invented about 

 1745, by Col. Buchatt, of Metz, in France. For this he 

 was awarded a premium by the Agricultural Society of 

 France. It was claimed that the invention would be of 

 great value in hastening the maturity of the grape, as well 

 as improving the quality ; but it is doubtful if either of 

 these results has been obtained in its practice. 



