I agree. There's just so much one can do to force nature to do our bidding. Perhaps you should look at some of Claus Mattheck's pictures of distorted trees to see what shapes are possible and viable!
Julian
On 1 Sep 2012, at 18:16, Filippo A. Salustri wrote:
> Julian, I appreciate the clarification.
> I wouldn't mind seeing it tried, just to see what would happen, but there's something about this idea - and the generally medieval appearance of the device in the sketches on the OP's website, that give me pause. It just strikes me as too much of humanity trying to force nature to do things - which as far as I know tends to lead only to unexpected (and often undesirable) outcomes.
>
> I'm also reminded of a lovely Maple tree just behind our property, that is growing *through* the metal wire fence at the edge of our property and the ravine behind it.
>
> /fas
>
> On 1 September 2012 12:50, Julian Vincent <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I don't know how much of the trunk actually takes part in translocation. Certainly the phloem is peripheral, so squashing the trunk is unlikely to affect the total sectional area of phloem, although it will presumably be constricted. Xylem (transporting water up the stem) might be more compromised - I don't know how much of the xylem is active in a tree trunk. Certainly not all of it, since the heartwood is a repository for spare phenols and general rubbish (or so I am informed). My worry would be that the zone below the clamp wouldn't develop properly since it wasn't subject to normal bending strains. I have a feeling that it would be easier to breed self-pruning fruit.
> On the other hand, nature being what it is, I suspect there are inbuilt responses to such challenges as restriction of the stem.
>
> Julian
>
>
> --
> \V/_
> Filippo A. Salustri, Ph.D., P.Eng.
> Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
> Ryerson University
> 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON
> M5B 2K3, Canada
> Tel: 416/979-5000 ext 7749
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