The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-01-11
:Farm anu 6arofi,.

9IRDBING FRUIT TREEs.-The Boston Guilt
vator speaks Of some one who had girdled certain
parts of an apple tree part way round and in
creased the product Of fruit on the limbs girdled
| The process also bad the effect to prevent the
apples dropping off prematurely-sta also that
the girdling was done while the tree was in bios.
som, andinquiring whether others had thried sim
liar experiments. 4"
Some months ago we copied an article from an
eastern paper, written by man who had sever
n appleAr on his premises that bore no fruit.
They would blossom full, but bear nothing One
spring, while in blossom, by accident, had the
bark knocked off from one side of the trunk, and
that side OF the tree bore full that season. This
led him the next spring to experiment by grid
ling few branches Of one of these trees while in
blossom. The result was that these girdled
limbs bore full, while the rest of the tree re-
manned barren. The next spring at the same
season he girdled one of these trees entirly
around the trunk just below the forks, and the
result was that the tree was loaded with fruit
70 that the branches had to be propped up. The
third year he repeated the experiment on another
barren tres with the same result The ring of
bark removed was about = TO 4 Of an inch en-
tirely around the trunk. A new bark soon
brfdged over the wound, giving it the appear
ence OF having been grated at that point.
The writer WAS confident that any apple tree
might be treated thus without injury, if done
while IN blossom, and care was used not to cut
into the wood, and il the tree WAS barren before,
1t would bring il into bearing
Hearing Mr.. Cover Of orr own state, affirm
that the bark might be stripped from fruit tree
any time in July without injury, and having an
apple tree that shed its fruit, about the middle
OF July, we girdled two limbs, cutting ring out
entirely around about Il Of An inch wide. The
fruit had mostly dropped off at the time, and the
cause seemed to be the apple worm. that no
very marked effect upon the fruit was expected
Still. the fruit those limbs hung on better
than on the rest Of the tree 1t did not iniure
the limbs at all. A new, thin bark soon formed,
not apparently by any inductive process from the
bark on either side OF the girdle, but as if the
material oozed out of the naked wood.
curious feature of the experiment was this /:
From the end Of the severed bark on the upper
side of the girdle, a ring II wood with slight
rough bark formed, filling the notch a little more
than even with the old birk and growing over
the new bark formed IN the girdle, and extend
ing nearly across ii 10 the bark on the lower side
while not the slightest emission OF matter seemed
to have been made from the bark or from under
the bark on the side of the girdle towards the
root, The branch is dropping its leaves earlier
than the rest Of the tree, and il remains to be
seen whether or not it will survive the treatment
and pnt ont In the spring The bark Of the
branch ia still perfectly green aud fresh Of the
PHILOSOPHY of grdling and its effect upon the
fruitfulne.s pf the tree. and why giriling at one
season Of the yer will kill fruit tree, and no,
., another, we shall have something to say at an.
other time Wisconsin Farmer
THE CRouP.-Aothers O; young children are
apt, At this season of the year to be anxious over
the prevalence Of Group. A lady, referring to
this fact writes rs follows to the New Haven
Register:
II wish TO send you my mothers recipe, which
all who have tried deem infzllibie Take one
ounce sweet oil, AID add half AN ounce Of gum
opal. Ap.ly 10 the chest, under tho arms, the
palms Of tbs hands. and hollow Of tho feet Il
will generally relieve the most severe case Of
Group in Ave minutes. Remember, use ex tern al.
y, and drink beautifully of cold waisr.'
ma, II you will give me an apple will be
good. mo. my child, you must not be good for
pay-you ought 70 he good for nothing"