2 , On a M ethod of Forcing [Appendix, 



The application of this experiment, whereby upoa every bough 

 or branch, fruit may artificially be produced, is very simple and 

 easy, and the mode of proceeding as follows. 



With a sharp knife make a cut in the bark of the branch, which 

 you mean to force to bear, and not far from the place where it is 

 connected with the stem, or if it be a small branch, or shoot, near 

 to where it is joined to the larger bough : the cut is to go round 

 the branch, or to encircle it, and to penetrate to the wood. A 

 quarter of an inch from this cut, you make a second cut, like the 

 first, round the branch, so that by both encircling the branch, you 

 have marked a ring upon the branch, a quarter of an inch broad, 

 between the two cuts. The bark between these two cuts you take 

 clean away with the knife, down to the wood, removing even the 

 fine inner bark, which immediately lies upon the wood : so that no 

 connection whatever remains between the two parts of the 

 bark, but the bare and naked wood appears white and smooth. 

 But this bark-ring, which is to compel the tree to bear, must be 

 made at the right time, that is, when in all nature the buds are 

 strongly swelling or are breaking out into blossom. In the same 

 year a callus is formed at the edges of the ring, on both sides, and 

 the connection of the bark, that had been interrupted, is restored 

 again without any detriment to the tree, or the branch operated 

 upon, in which the artificial wound soon again grows over. 



By this simple though artificial means of forcing every fruit-tree, 

 with certainty, to bear, you obtain the following important ad- 

 vantages : 



1. You may compel every young tree of which you do not know 

 the sort, to shew its fruit, and decide sooner, whether, being of a 

 good quality, it may remain in its first state, or requires to be 

 grafted. 



2. You may, thereby, with certainty, get fruit of every good sort, 

 of which you wish to see the produce, in the next year. 



