THE OLIVE 89 



present less opjDOsition to its course than the older wood. Having 

 reached the leaves, the lungs of the tree, it undergoes some change 

 in its properties and then returns to the roots again ; so we have the 

 ascending sap and the descending sap. 



The descent of the sap can be verified and turned to advantage. 

 It is claimed that the tree can be compelled to bear fruit whether it 

 will or no. Having selected a fruit branch, ring the bark near its 

 base, making a perfect ring whose ends meet. A double-bladed 

 knife with the blades about half an inch apart is the proper instru- 

 ment to use. The descending sap will be forced into fruit and the 

 yield of that particular branch will be in marked contrast to its 

 neighbors. The upper side of the ring will exude sap and it will 

 finall}^ swell into a circle there showing its desire to come down. It 

 is claimed that this rinoins: of the bark of minor branches can be 

 done annually without any detriment to the tree. It will be better 

 to select horizontal branches, as without the bark and with a wei^-ht 

 of fruit, vertical branches are apt to be broken off by the wind. 

 But as much is required from a tree by this process, so, more than 

 usual care must be expended on it in cultivation and manuring. 

 The tendency of a tree is to reach the height of its species, and as 

 only the vertical branches are useful for this purpose, the sap al- 

 ways tends to nourish the upright branches at the expense of the 

 horizontal and lower ones. 



It is necessary to avoid pruning too long, which would carry the 

 sap to the extremities ot the branches to the detriment and destruc- 

 tion of the center. On the other hand too short pruning would 

 force the sap into a small number of buds that would be found on 

 the young branches and flowing back to the old, would result in 

 false wood, that is, branches out of place and contrary to nature. 

 If one side of a tree grows with too much vigor the strong branches 

 should be pruned short but the feeble ones left long in order to en- 

 courage the sap to flow into them, and on the otucr hand the re- 

 verse should be done with the feeble side, the weaker branches 



