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This girdle paint, which is a kind of grafting wax, is prepared 

 as follows : — 4 parts of common yellow resin and 3 parts (by 

 weight) of linseed oil (preferably "raw") are melted together 

 over a slow fire and boiled for about ten minutes. After removal 

 from the fire, but while still hot, this liquid is beaten up with a 

 small per cent of cold tobacco tea : about one-half pint of the tea 

 to each 3 pints of the resin-oil mixture is a good proportion but 

 this may vary with the kind of oil used, length of time of boiling, 

 etc. The tobacco tea should be added little by little while the 

 wax is being rapidly stirred. The addition of the tobacco tea will 

 thicken the brown liquid to a yellowish, semi-solid wax which 

 should retain its intense thickness for 2 to 4 days when applied to 

 the tree. 



This wax possesses the following properties : — impermeability 

 to water and air, thus preventing drying out and rotting of wood 

 or bark over which it is spread ; stickiness, which prevents the 

 ants passing over it until it gradually hardens on the surface ; and 

 toughness, which prevents the ants gnawing through it, thus al- 

 lowing the wounds to heal over with new bark. A small paint 

 brush is well adapted for applying the wax, which should be of 

 the consistency of thick cream at ordinary temperatures. It should 

 not be applied while the bark is wet. In bright sunshine this wax 

 will run slightly after being applied. 



For stopping the passage of ants up the tree a ring of the girdle 

 paint about 2 inches wide is made around the trunk just above the 

 surface of the ground ; by putting a second ring about 6 inches 

 above the first the ants are usually frustrated in their attempt to re- 

 gain passage to the branches by carrying up particles of earth to 

 form a quasi-bridge over the lower ring. All branches and weeds 

 affording direct passage between the ground and tree top must be 

 removed at the time of applying the rings. Unless used in con- 

 junction with the ant killer several applications may be necessary 

 at intervals of 2 to 4 days. 



This wax should be used also for covering the wound when the 

 " spur" is removed and for the raw surfaces left by pruning. 



Either tobacco stems or dust may be steeped to prepare the tea. 

 Water may be substituted if the tobacco is not readily procurable. 

 The cost of this preparation should be from 10 to 15 cents per 

 quart if the ingredients are bought in small quantities. Only the 

 purest linseed oil (free from cotton seed oil) should be used. A 

 small amount of tallow, about one-fourth the amount of oil used, 

 may be added to the resin and oil and melted up therewith ; this 

 forms a wax of very durable tenacity but it is more difficult to 

 combine with the tobacco tea in thickening it. In all cases the tea 

 must be stirred in until no drops of the water can be seen upon 

 its standing several hours. If this paint hardens after standing 

 or does not spread easily with the brush, it may be re-melted with 

 a very small quantity of oil added. 



