Four Years’ Growth In One Year Claimed

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30643, 8 January 1965, Page 6

Four Years’ Growth In One Year Claimed

Not everyone is content to follow the lead given by the more qualified, or to accept their work as being the ultimate. There are always those who like to experiment; to build or think for themselves in every walk of life. Even the home gardener attempts to perpetuate a new variety, and it is with this in mind that we publish excerpts from a letter recently received. The writer of this page, however, wishes emphatically to state that he in no way supports or condemns the views expressed, and no correspondence will be entertained regarding the context of the material presented. “I am an amateur home gardener but have come up with a remarkable discovery. I can get four years growth out of a tree in one year. 1 intend to write a book on my work but will explain it briefly to you.

“The one-year-old tree is stripped of all its foliage in the spring and artificial winter conditions given, i.e., wind, cold and moisture. This is, and can be, difficult, but I have managed to overcome it in the following way. Cubes of ice are hung up through the tree suspended from the branches. When these melt they give the effect of a frost. They must be strung up before 5 a.m. at this time of the year. Cubes must also be put

in the soil or the frost effect is not achieved. (This simple mistake cost me two years experimental time.) “The driving wind and rain is obtained by using a garden hose passing through a refrigerator. A fan gives good winds of up to 25 m.p.h. 1 have found that this is sufficient. “The above treatment is continued for five weeks and then tapered off. Leaves will reappear over the next month. These are left on for one month and then again stripped off in January. “The process is repeated giving a milder winter. This is essential as the next winter will be a real one. “Three months later, AprilMay, the leaves fall naturally. The problem then is to get them back on again. This has caused me a lot of expense, involving 12, 30watt light bulbs for an average tree for artificial light, three kerosene heaters that burn J gallon of fuel a day, wind and rain screens, and umbrellas! An electric blanket is also required to raise the soil temperature sufficiently. All these items of equipment can be purchased second-hand, which reduces costs considerably. Briefly, now, this cycle is repeated four times a year and thus the plant thrives, so that at the end of one year it is in fact four years older, and grows four times as much.”

The writer then goes on to tell of his need for further trees for additional experimentation before compiling a paper on his work and concludes that: “If the Russians had this idea they could produce four times as much and there would be four times as many of them.”