GRAFTA GE. 



93 



waxes or mastics for protecting grafts and covering wounds 

 upon trees. In this country the resin and beeswax waxes are 

 most used, although some of the 

 alcoholic waxes are popular in some 

 regions. In Europe, many clay and 

 pitch waxes are in common use. 

 For most purposes, the wax No. i 

 in the following list will be found 

 one of the best, especially for* ap- 

 plying by the hand. In making the 

 resin and beeswax waxes, the 

 materials are first broken up finely 

 and melted together. When thor- 

 oughly melted, the liquid is poured 

 into a pail or tub of cold water. It 

 soon becomes hard enough to han- 

 dle, and it is then pulled and worked 

 over until it becomes tough or 

 "gets a grain," at which stage it 

 becomes the color of very light- 

 colored manilla paper. When wax 

 is applied by hand, the hands must 

 be well greased. Hard tallow is the best material for this pur- 

 pose. In top-grafting large trees it is well to carry a supply of 

 tallow when waxing by smearing the backs of the hands before 

 entering the tree. 



i . Common Resin and Beesivax Waxes. 



1. Resin, 4 parts by weight ; beeswax, 2 parts ; tallow, i part. 



2. Resin, 4 Ibs. ; beeswax, i Ib. ; lallow, i Ib. 



3. Resin, 6 Ibs. ; beeswax, 2 Ibs. ; linseed oil, i pt. 



4. Resin, 6 Ibs. ; beeswax, i Ib. ; linseed oil, i pt. ; apply hot 

 with a brush, one-eighth of an inch thick over all the joints. 



5. Resin, 4 Ibs. ; beeswax, i Ib. ; and from half to a pint 

 of raw linseed oil ; melt all together gradually, and turn into 

 water and pull. The linseed oil should be entirely free from 

 cotton-seed oil. For use in warm weather. 



Fig. 89. Inarching. 



