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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



Waxes for Grafting and for 



Wounds 



I — Common Kosiii and Itofsmix >Vaxes 



1. Reliable Wax. — Resin, four parts by- 

 weight: beeswax, two parts: tallow, one 

 part. Melt together and pour into a pail 

 of rold water. Then grease the hands 

 and pull tlie wax until it is nearly white. 

 One of the best waxes, either for indoor 

 or outdoor use. 



2. Resin, four pounds; beeswax, one 

 pound; tallow one pound. 



3. Resin, six pounds; beeswax, two 

 pounds; linseed oil, one pint. 



4. Six pounds resin, one beeswax, and 

 one pint linseed oil; apply hot with a 

 brush, one-eighth of an inch thick over 

 all the joints. 



5. For Warm Weather. — Four pounds 

 of resin, one pound of beeswax, and from 

 half to a pint of raw linseed oil; melt 

 together gradually, and turn into water 

 and pull. The linseed oil should be 

 entirely free from cotton-seed oil. 



6. Resin, six parts; beeswax, one part; 

 tallow, one part. To be used warm, in 

 the house. 



7. Resin, four or five parts; beeswax, 

 one and one-half to two parts; linseed 

 oil, one to one and one-half parts. For 

 outdoor work. 



II — Alcoholic Waxes 



8. Lefert's Liquid Grafting Wax, or 

 Alcoholic Plastic. — Best white resin, one 

 pound; beef tallow, one ounce; remove 

 from the fire and add eight ounces of al- 

 cohol. Keep in closed bottles or can. 



9. Alcoholic Plastic with Beeswax. — ■ 

 Melt six parts white resin with one part 

 beeswax; remove from stove and partially 

 cool by stirring, then add gradually, with 

 continued stirring, enough alcohol to 

 make the mixture, when cool, of the con- 

 sistency of porridge. In the temperature 

 of the grafting-room it will remain suf- 

 ficiently plastic to permit applying to 

 the cut surfaces with the finger. 



TO. Alcoholic Plastic with Turpentine. 

 — Best white resin, one pound; beef tal- 

 low, one ounce; turpentine, one teaspoon- 

 ful; add enough alcohol (13 to 15 fluid 



ounces of 95 per cent alcohol) to make 

 the wax of the consistency of honey. 

 Or, less alcohol may be added if the wax 

 is to be used with the fingers. 



Ill — French and Pitch Waxes 



11. Common French. — Pitch, one-half 

 pound; beeswax, one-half pound; cow- 

 dung, one pound. Boil together, melt, 

 and apply with a brush. 



12. Common French Bandage Wax. — 

 Equal parts of beeswax, turpentine and 

 resin. While warm spread on strips of 

 coarse cotton or strong paper. 



13. Grafting Clay. — One-third cow- 

 ilung, free from straw, and two-thirds 

 clay, or clayey loam, with a little hair, 

 like that used in plaster, to prevent its 

 cracking. Beat and temper it for two 

 or three days until it is thoroughly in- 

 corporated. Wlien used it should be of 

 such consistency as to be easily put on 

 and shaped with the hands. 



14. Two pounds 12 ounces of resin 

 and one pound 11 ounces of Burgundy 

 pitch. At the same time, melt nine ounces 

 of tallow; pour the latter into the former, 

 while both are hot, and stir the mixture 

 thoroughly. Then add 18 ounces of red 

 ochre, dropping it in gradually and stir- 

 ring the mixture at the same time. 



15. Black pitch, 28 parts: Burgundy 

 pitch, 28 parts: beeswax, 16 parts: grease, 

 14 parts; yellow ochre, 14 parts. 



16. Black pitch, 28 pounds; Burgundy 

 pitch, 28 pounds; yellow wax, 16 pounds; 

 suet or tallow, 14 pounds; sifted ashes, 

 14 pounds. When used, warm sufficiently 

 to make it liquid. 



17. Melt together one and one-fourth 

 pounds of clear resin and three-fourths 

 I'ound of white pitch. At the same time 

 melt one-fourth pound of tallow. Pour 

 the melted tallow into the first mixture, 

 and stir vigorously. Then, before the 

 stuff cools, add, slowly stirring mean- 

 time, one-half pound of Venetian red. 

 This may be used warm or cold. 



IT — Waxed String and Bandage 



18. Waxed String for Root Grafting.— 

 Into a kettle of melted wax place balls 

 of No. 18 knitting cotton. Turn the balls 

 frequently, and in five minutes they will 



