The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-06-07
GIRDLING THE GRAPE VINE.

The girdling Of a grape vine has 4 very
marked influence on the fruit: it c;suses
it to grow much larger, to ripen sooner
and makes it of better flavor. Girslling
consists in taking rim Of bark about
one fourth or one sixth of an inch wide
from the trunk or branches of the vine.
Some recommend taking this rim of bark
from the main stem, others from the side
canes. AS many may not understand the
operation or the effect it has upon the
vine, it may save life of many vine if we
examine and see how it grows. y vine
does not grow, as may appear at first
sight, from the bottom upward but from
the top downward. The roots take from
the soil what moisture the plant needs;
also the mineral matter. This food can
not be used by the plant unless there is
water in the soil to hold it III solution, as
it must be in q liquid form to be taken up
by the roots. This crude or undigcsted
food or sap is carried to the leaves, not
through the bark but through the entire
wood of the vine. When it reaches the
leaves, it comes in contact with the car
bon absorbed from the atmosphere by the
leaves; here it is digested, and is now
ready to be used by the vine in making
new growth in what is called the cambium
region, and is deposited in the form of
cells just beneath the bark, SO that all
growth is made from the downward flow
ing sap, and not from the upward.
If vine is girdled by taking away a
rim Of bark, break is made, so that the
sap as it descends cannot pass over this
gap, and all growth must take place above
where the bark has been removed. 1fthe
main trunk is girdled, that portion below
the girdle must go without receiving any
support from the rest of the vine until
this wound can be healed over and conf
pete circulation renewed. All this time
the roots have furnished crude sap for
the part of the vine above the girdle, and
have received nothing in return. This
cannot help weakening the roots, and if
followed up it must entirely kill the vine.
This gap may heal over Gas it probably
will if not done too late), when the circu-
lation will be restored once more; but
there has been strain on the roots, and
they must be somewhat exhausted. II
only girdled once the vine may not be per-
manently injured; but if followed up it
must be weakened, and the moment its
vital forces begin to lag will disease Of
some form step i'll and hasten the work of
destruction. If instead of girdling the
main trunk side shoot is taken (taking
care to leave some untouched), the III
jury may not be enough to be felt by the
roots, and the vine will not be injured to
any extent After vine is girdled, the
crude sap is taken up the same as before
and is digested by the leaves. This pre-
pared sap descends as far as the place
where the rim of bark has been removed
and can 60 no farther. The result is, the
branch is crowded with food that must be
made use of, the fruit has more than the
usual amount of nourishment supplied it
which causes it to develop faster, grow
LARGER. and makes it of better flavor. If
a single branch be tried, the effect of gird
ling can be distinctly seen; the cane grid
ling will show ripe fruit, while that on
the remainder Of the vine will hardly have
begun coloring. think the best results
from girdlin" will be obtained if done i'll
the following manner: AS soon as the
fruit is half grown, take rim OF bark
from the side canes Qeaving part ungir-
died to supply nourishment to the roots,
and too keep the vine i'll healthy condi-
tion) near the main trunk. The RIM OF
bark should not be over one fourth OF an
inch wide This will make the fruit grow
nearly as fast again as on canes that have
not been girdled. The vine at this season
is growing very vigorously, and Will heal
over the wound made by taking away this
90 h,, inc Sb
the natural circulation is restored, the
fruit will seem to have stopped growing
and that on the rest of the vine will part
Iy catch up with it; but if as soon as the
circulation is restored another break is
made by taking away another rim of
bark, lust above where the first one was
taken, the fruit will ripen fully two OF
three weeks earlier than that on the rest
- of the vine. Last season | tried this
method on Concord vine. The first Cir
ding caused the fruit to increase in size
nearly as fast again as it did on the canes
that had not been girdled. The wound
healed over in a few weeks, and the ber-
ries seemed to come to stand still L re-
moved another rim OF bark Just above
where the first one was taken, and it was
astonishing how quickly the berries be-
gan coloring. They were larger than
those on canes not girdled, OF better f1afor
and ripened fully fifteen days sooner. If
any one will take the pains to grow new
canes each year to girdle the next, and
cut away the canes girdled the year be-
fore as soon as they have produced one
crop of fruit, see no reason why girdling
should not be practieed. and would even
recommend it, as the fruit will ripen so
much earlier that it will be in no danger
of injury from early frosts. which in this
latitude often destroy the crop. But do
not girdle the main trunk, only the side
branches. and grow new canes each year
to girtlie she next. If instead of this the
main trunk IL girdled, the vine will be-
come weakened. and in short time will
be ruined.