246 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



To those who are willing to allow their own common sense, 

 reasoning and reflection, to accompany their efforts, I address 

 myself; for this art is so easily acquired that no one need say, 

 that I cannot do this or that thing as some others do. 



1st. I exhibit a specimen of grafting wax or mastic, which I 

 have used alternately with other kinds commonly in use, and I 

 find this the best of all others. And now I will tell you how it 

 is made. The expense is within the means of every one. The 

 combination of one hundred parts is arranged thus — twenty- 

 eight parts of common pitch, twenty-eight parts of Burgundy 

 pitch, sixteen parts beeswax, fourteen parts tallow, fourteen 

 parts yellow ochre, 100. 



The pitch is first put into an iron pot and placed over a fire of 

 gradual heat, and when the pitch is melted, the tallow and bees- 

 wax are stirred into the pitch until the whole is melted, 

 when the yellow ochre is gradually stirred in until it is 

 well incorporated ; I then take the pot from the fire and occasion- 

 ally stir it until it is cool, when it may be formed into any shape 

 suitable for use. It may be applied with a wooden spatula when 

 softened by the warmth of the weather, and will remain where it 

 is deposited and afford less harbor for insects than any other. 

 This receipt Avas given to me sometime since, and on reading that 

 most estimable work upon Arboriculture, by M. Debreuil, Avhich I 

 have recently obtained, I find this receipt given as the best in 

 use among the cultivators of France. 



I have another solution which I have conjured up myself some 

 year since, for the preservation of the wounds made upon the 

 ends of limbs at the time of pruning trees, an application of 

 which renders the wood impervious to the action of the weather 

 until it is completely healed over. It is made thus : Take a 

 quantity of seed lac, or shellac, or equr.l parts of each, and place 

 it in a kettle, or more properly so called, a water-bath, something 

 like a common glue pot, and saturate the lac therein with a mix- 

 ture of four parts water to one part of spirits of ammonia, (harts- 

 horn) in quantity just enough to moisten it, and let the mixture 

 stand three or four hours in a warm place ; then place the pot over 

 a fire adding liot water at the. time to the mass as it is dissolving, 

 stirring until it is melted. The water that is introduced in this 

 way Avill decide the consistency which, when cool, ought to be 

 like thick cream, or more like tar. The whole mass should be 

 continually stirred from the commencement until it is taken from 



