31 
proueii of enlarging fruit!* depends upon the fart that the raw 
materials of plant food gathered by the roots of a plant pass up 
ward through the last formed wood tissue (sap-wood). This is as- 
similated by the foliage at the top of the plant and sent downward 
through the branches in the inner bark tissues to be used where 
needed for growth. The ring of bark beiug removed, a larger 
supply of food is forced into the fruit than is otherwise obtained 
and, consequently, the berries, in the case of the grape, are larger, 
the bunches heavier and maturing earlier, they ripen one or two 
weeks earlier than the ordinary time for the variety. 
In removing the bark care must be exercised not to injure the 
wood or the upward flow of plant food is obstructed and the benefi- 
cial effects of ringing is lost. The width of the bark removed should 
be great enough so that the healing process that immediately takes 
place will not bridge over the wound within the season. The 
branches which have been thus girdled are greatly weakened by the 
operation, and when the fruit is harvested such branches are cut 
away; that is to say, at the subsequent priming of the vine, where 
any one of the renewal systems of pruning is practiced, no loss is 
experienced. In the Kniffen system, for instance, the arms on the 
upper wire may be ringed at about a middle point. This will afford 
sufficient foliage under the girdle to keep the vine in health and pro- 
duce strong canes to renew the arms. 
Ringing is an operation that is not practiced on a commercial 
scale, but vineyardists who have a fine table trade or who wish 
to grow particularly fine fruit for exhibition purposes commonly 
adopt this method. 
While the fruit above the girdle is greatly enlarged, that which 
hangs below the girdle is correspondingly smaller. It should be re- 
moved at time of ringing for the best results. 
In an experiment conducted by the Experiment Station at Geneva, 
X. Y.,* several varieties of grapes were ringed with different results. 
Concord fruit was greatly enlarged and ripened seventeen days 
earlier. Delaware fruit was not affected in size, was inferior in 
quality, but ripened nine days earlier. Empire State fruit was 
greatly enlarged and ripened 21 days earlier. Moore fruit was but 
little affected in size or quality and not at all in time of maturing. 
Niagara fruit was somewhat enlarged and ripened fourteen days 
earlier. Worden fruit was but slightly affected either in size or 
earliness. 
Kinging should not be practiced upon the same vims year after 
year because of the loss of vitality- occasioned by it. The effect of 
the operation upon the fruit in the second year is greatly reduced, 
so that it is better to ring the same vines only once in two years. 
•Bui. 151, Exp. Station, Geneva. N. Y. 
