more abundant cell increase in the cambial ring at that place. We find that 

 the diameter of the upper part of the branch has strikingly increased in pro- 

 portion to that lying below the girdling cut. The supply of water carried 

 up from the roots to this place is at first, however, considerably decreased. 

 In the first place, the amount of water ascending in the bark is prevented 

 from rising further by the girdling cut, and then the main stream, ascending 

 in the wood, loses no inconsiderable amount of water at first by evaporation 

 at the place laid bare by the girdling. Therefore, in the upper part of the 

 branch the main factor of cell elongation, turgor, is decreased by the lessen- 

 ing supply of water from below. The cell increase is indeed greater but 

 the cell elongation is less than in the normal branch. While the growth in 

 thickness of the part of the axis, which lies above the girdle, is increased, 

 the apical growth of the branch remains moderate; the intemodes are not 

 as much lengthened. Shortening of the intemodes with abundant supply 

 of plastic material is the first step toward the formation of fruiting wood; 

 thus fertility of the branch is more rapidly brought about by tjirdling. The 

 part of the branch above the girdling is demonstrably poorer in water ; its 

 leaves, likewise poorer in water, take on an autumnal coloration earlier, 

 and the ripening of its fruit is hastened. 



The assertion that larger fruit can also be obtained by girdling has 

 been confirmed only in certain cases. Grapevines, for example, and the 

 American varieties especially, after girdling seem still to get such a consid- 

 erable amount of water in the upper part of the vine that no retarding of 

 the apical growth is noticeable. In this case, therefore, the development of 

 the fruit depends essentially on the amount of plastic material and this 

 varies in different years, according to the prevailing atmospheric conditions. 

 In the same way, the character of the variety is of influence. For example, 

 Paddock^ observed that the variety of grape, "Empire State," ripened its 

 fruit three weeks earher than usual because of girdling, the "Delaware," on 

 the other hand, showed scarcely any reaction and, in fact, its quality was 

 poorer. 



Girdling is used on grapevines as a means for curing the dropping of 

 the young berries-, but as a constant regular treatment in cultural pruning 

 girdling will never find an opening; it may always be used only as a drastic, 

 exceptional method, in special cases, the injuriousness of which frequently 

 exceeds its usefulness. 



Even in the grapevine, in which girdling is used most frequently, its 

 use must remain limited. In the "Annalen der Oenologie"^ Gothe judges 

 that the hope of a general application of the process in grape culture will 

 not be realized. The advantage of hastened ripening, he thinks, is unmis- 

 takable. In this way, late varieties may still be brought to ripening, but 

 the grapes of girdled vines give a worthless wine. The part of the vine 



1 Paddock, W., Experiments in Ringing- Grape Vines. New York Agric. Exp. 

 Sta. Bull. No. 151, 1898. 



- Jilger, Obstbau 1856, p. 125. 

 3 Vol. VI, 1877, Part 1. p. 126, 



