Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-06-09
GirdIing Fruit Trees. to Make Them
Bear.

A coRRKsPoNDENT Of the Boston, Jour
nal of Chemistry states there is no doubt
that the girdling of fruit trees is a cause
ofabundant fruitageS hut it by no means
follows from this fact that a general pfin-
ciple can be deduced, that trees would be
improved, or the crop increased for a
series OF years by. such Streatments It's
well known that gardeners frequently CIR
die a branch by removing a narrow ring
of bark arouAdxit,, whenEthey wish to 1n-
crease the size and beauty of the fruits
but it is done at the expense GIFTS vitality,
and, unless the operation is skiAfully per-
formed, will invariably destroy it before
the season of bearing the, next year.
The crude sap, taken up fromthe soilby
the roots of the tree, ascends principally
through the vascular tissue of ~thesalbdr-
mum or sap-wood oasthealeaves of the
branches, and there BOT this n the car
bon of the carbonic acid, absorbed from
the air by the leaves, are organized into
the proper substance for the growth of
the wood andSffuit. 1t then descends on
the outside, principally through the sieve
tissue of the cambium layer, forming a
new layer of wood and bark while part
also goes to the nourishment of the fruit.
If there is no obstruction of the elaborated
sap m its downward course, it is equally
distributed to the branches, fruit, stem,
and roots but, if the bark and cambium
layer are removed by girdling, it is stop
ped in its descent, and consequently re-
ceived into the branches and fruit in ex-
cess, and they are. thus increased at the
expense of the part below. In this way
we account for the increase of the fruit by
7 Professor John Lindley, when speak
ing of this subject in his late treatise on
horticulture, qaotes Mr.. Z. A. Knight ap-
tDroTingh&as follows: - When the eourse
OF the descending current is intercepted
that naturally stagnates, and accumdlates
above thedecorticated space, whence it is
repulsed and carried upward, to be ex-
pended imam increased production Of blos-
SONS andffHit." This theory is adopted
by the hest physiologis6 of the pfesent
time, andscsn be demohstrated with al
most mathematical certainty. Therefore,
thissuRnsturRl development, of fruit, in
stead of Indicating an Improvement ofthe
trees, mustsbe looked upon as a Fremont
tory symptom~of AiserdeyedfphyeiealFao-
ton, andsof prematufedesth 8
If ,theAbak and cambinm layer have
beensFemoved by girdlng, as seems 70 be
the case with the trees, the downward
circulatory connection. on the outside be.
tween the upper and lower part is de-
stroyed, and the upper partial least must
Ldiee If, however, the cambium layer has
not been destroyed, and has been SO Gov.
cred BY wax a~ndsbandages as to prevent
evaporation and drying OF the surface OF
the decorticated part, there is a chance
for some or them to i've. It Is true thai
some few cases are recorded of ctrees
which have lived several years after The
bark and rcambium layer have been re
moved, but they are of very doubtful au
thority. szs too -tH
M. Ernest Faivre, aFrench psychologist
gives a statement of his recent investiga
tons on this subject, published in the
Gardeners Chronicle, about two months
ago, in which he says: "In mulberry
trees, as in all trees deprived of latex, an
nular incisions generally produce the fol
lowing manifestations; l. Formation o
a swelling or tissue restorer, at the upper
lip of the wound. o. Diametrical growth
of the parts above the o n of bark takeI
Of. 8. Hardening of the wood in tina
region. 4 Stationary condition of thu
parts below, if they are deprived of leave
and buds ; OF, if not, vigorous shoots from
below. the lower lip of the wound. 8
More. easy, more early, and more album
dant Howering and fructif1cation. 6. De
struction, after variable time, of all tn,
parts above accumulation. ssh
From the foregoing observations it ap
pears that girdling trees in any form
~ruinous, and almost always fatal /; there
fore 1 heartily concur in the advice. give
in the Journal that orchardists should nc
experiment on their trees too freely be
fore they see what the final result will b
with those already girdled1ScientJf
4 American.