The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-08-04
GIisDLENG TREES AND
VINES.

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There are many things about
plant growth that We cann1t know,
yet, by careful study and expert
ments, We may learn much that is
both interesting and useful. Ma
ny of the popular notions in re-
gard to plants have been proved
to be incorrect. It is commonly
supposed, for example, that the
growth Of a tree is upward from
the ground !; but it has been dem
onstrated that the growth is really
from the top downward. The sap
passes up through the wood of the
tree to the leaves, where it meets
with the material gather ID from
the air. In this laboratory Of the
leaves, vegetable matter is formed,
which is then conveyed downward
mot between the bark and the
wood, as has been claimed-but in
the inside layer Of the bark from
which it is thrown. off to become
new layer of wood.
A girdled tree may continue to
grow above the girdle, but never
below. A girddled tree, il one
sense, does not die because Of the
girdle, but because the denuded
wood dries up so as to prevent the
sap from passing up to the leaves.
If the denuded. part can be so pro-
tected from the sun and air as to
keep it from drying, the life of the
tree may be preserved. l knew a
pine tree to live and grow for eight
years after being girdled; but the
growth was only above the girdle.
Farmers are always anxious to
know a thing if they can make a
dollar out of it. Now, if the
growth Of the tree is from the top
downward, knowledge of this
fact may be of great value to fruit
growers. If We can keep the veg
etable matter formed in the leaf III
the top Of the tree, it will tend to
increase the production of fruit.
That this is a fact has been suff-
GENTLY proven by numerous expe-
riments. Girdle the canes Of a
grapevine and it ripens its fruit
two or three weeks earlier than a
vine not girdled. The same is true
of the apple and all fruit-bearing
trees. This fact is of especial
Importance in the culture Of
grapes, as in this way We can ripen
varieties of this fruit for which
our seasons are ordinarily, with
the usual treatment, too short.
The reason that girdling has not
been generally practised by fruit
growers, is because it has been
commonly supposed that vine or
tree cannot be girdled without
killing it.
It is my purpose to tell you now
how you can girdle your vines and
trees without injuring. them. I
have girdled the same grapevine
five years in succession, and with
out injuring it in the least. The
proper time to girdle vine is when
the grapes are about the size Of a
rea. The operation may, be per-
formed with a sharp penknife, cut
ting a clean chasm around the
bearing canes, about one-sixteenth
of an inch in width. This chasm,
while of too small extent to injure
the vine, will yet be sufficient to
check for a few weeks the descent
of the sap, and consequently the
growth Of the vine below, throw
ing the whole of the nutriment
absorbed by the vine into the tops
of the canes and the fruit. The
effect will be to greatly advance
and improve the fruit. The girdle
will, in little while, readily heal
over, and the circulation Of the
vine resume. its :nermal course.
The branches Of all fruit-bearing
trees may be treated in the same
way, and with like results. Any.
one can successfully perform the
operation if they are only suff-
cientlv careful not to make the