290 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 
cions. These cions are of the same kind as those 
which are used for ordinary grafting. The edges 
of the girdle are pared down to fresh wood, and 
the cions are cut two or three inches longer than 
the width of the girdle. They are whittled to a 
wedge shape upon either end, and these ends are 
inserted between the bark and the wood upon the 
upper and lower sides of the girdle. They should 
be so numerous as to almost touch each other en- 
tirely around the tree. After they are inserted, a 
strip of cloth should be bound tightly upon the 
bark over their ends, and the whole girdle should 
then be waxed over. It is a good plan to pour 
melted wax over the work, allowing it to run in 
between the cions and cover the edges of the bark 
and the exposed surface of wood. 
The congestion of the parts of the plant im- 
mediately above the girdle shows that those parts 
are overfed; that is, they receive nutriment at the 
expense of the portions below the girdle. It would 
seem, therefore, that girdling might be made to in- 
crease the size and hasten the maturity of fruit 
which is borne beyond the girdle; and such is 
known to be the case. The girdling of grapes is 
a common practice in some regions. The girdled 
portions are entirely removed in the next annual 
pruning, and enough of the growing portion is left 
below the girdle to maintain the roots and trunk. 
It will be seen, therefore, that the liability of in- 
jury to the vine is all a question of how much is 
left below the girdle and how much above it. 
