TMH AORl C tJLTU RAL JOURNAL. 



The Ringing of Plants, 



IN a recent number of "American 

 Gardening" some experiments in 

 ringing grape vines, carried out at the 

 New Yorif Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, are recorded. Two vineyards in 

 different parts of the State were'treated, 

 and the vines in each were ringed for 

 two years. In one vineyard, trained upon 

 the two-arm Kniffin system, both arms 

 were ringed beyond the fifth bud, and in 

 the other vineyard, using the renewal 

 system of training, the arms were ringed 

 beyond the renewal bud. In both vine- 

 yards very marked differences in favour 

 of the fruit on ringed arms was noticed 

 with certain varieties, the bunches and 

 berries being longer and more compact 

 and ripening earlier. In most cases, how- 

 ever, the quality was injured, and the 

 grapes, which naturally show a tendency 

 to crack, were worse in this respect than 

 those produced by unringed vines. 



The process of ringing consists in the 

 removal of a ring of bark sufficiently deep 

 to prevent reunion of the two separated 

 portions during that season of growth. 

 This ring of removed tissue consists of 

 both the outer and inner bark, leaving the 

 wood cylinder fully fcV:posed. The opera- 

 tion is properly performed at the season 

 of the greatest activity of growth in the 

 cambium layer. The physiological effect 

 of this is a violent interruption of the 

 normal processes of circulation of the 

 plant sap The upward passage of fluids, 



while slightly affected, is practically main- 

 tained as in the ordinary shoot. The 

 downward passage of elaborated food 

 from the leaves is, on the other hand, 

 considerably impeded, the result being 

 that the upper end of the shoot, or that 

 portion which is beyond the ring, becomes 

 gorged with the elaborated food, and an 

 unnatural aging or maturity of that por- 

 tion of the plant is brought about. Shoots 

 treated thus will develop ripe fruit at an 

 earlier date than the rest of the tree, and 

 further the aging process, which mani- 

 fests itself in the beautiful autumn tints, 

 is more or less advanced. The upper por- 

 tiou of the shoot also shows a somewhat 

 stunted growth, and become short-joiuted. 

 A stratigulatioti by a ligature would ac- 

 complish the same end, the essential fact 

 being the interruptiou of the downward 

 flow of the sap. 



The process of ringing or decorticdtion 

 has been tried on vegetables —the tomato, 

 egg fruit, etc. Tomatoes are largely in- 

 creased in size at the expense of flavour ; 

 egg fruits from ringed plants are as he^vy 

 again as those from ordinary plants. Pos- 

 sibly monster pumpkins may become still 

 more monstrous by the shoots being 

 ringed, and so may other vegetables and 

 fruits where quality is of less importance 

 than mere size. Each grower should 

 decide for himself as to whether ringing is 

 a profitable or advisable practice to pursue. 



Lucerne Growing^ 



IT is difficult to understand, sajs 

 " Bruni " in the " Australasian," why 

 lucerne is not more extensively grown in 

 Victoria, or, indeed, Australia generally, 

 than is the case at present. In districts 

 where a supply of water is available for 

 irrigation it is questionable if auy known 

 fodder plant can produce as good returns 

 over a period of years, though some of 

 them may beat it for one year. Notwith 

 standing an enormous writing-off' of prin- 

 cipal and remission of interest on loans 



contracted for water supply purposes, the 

 Kodney Irrigation Trubt now owes the 

 State a large sum for interest, yet its 

 territory is probably the best reticulated 

 in Victoiia, and fully three-fourths of the 

 land is suitable for the growth of lucerne. 

 If the landholders would only give to this 

 noble fodder plant the attention which it 

 deserves, there would be absolutely no 

 difficulty experienced in meeting their 

 obligations to the State, and, at the same 

 time, securing very substantial profits for 



