282 The Principles of Fruit-growing 



soft. Adaptable for use in cold weather. On account of the impurities 

 in linseed oil, this wax is now likely to be unreliable; and it may be 

 better to use a greater quantity of tallow in the Standard wax given 

 above. 



Alcoholic wax. White resin, 1 pound; beef tallow, 1 ounce; tur- 

 pentine, 1 tablespoonful; alcohol, 5 ounces (more or less). Melt the 

 resin; add the tallow; remove from fire and gradually stir in the tur- 

 pentine and alcohol. Keep closed. Apply with brush. 



Bagging fruits. 



When it is desired to secure extra-fine fruit, it is a 

 good plan to tie up the fruits in paper bags. This keeps 

 away the insects and fungi, and protects the fruit from 

 birds (although the whiteness of the bags is likely to 

 attract thieves at night), and the fruit is likely to ripen 

 later or at least to hang later, and to be of higher quality 

 because of the warmth that the bag affords. The bag- 

 ging of grapes is a frequent practice when exhibition or test 

 specimens are desired; it is also employed in commercial 

 work with grapes. It is customary to pin the bags on the 

 clusters when the grapes are a third to a half grown. Bags 

 made of mosquito netting are very useful later in the sea- 

 son when it is desired to secure the full color of highly 

 colored fruit. 



If it is desired to bring out the blossoms of a tree very 

 early in the spring, it may be done by tying grocers' bags 

 on the spurs when the buds first begin to swell. 



Winter preparations. 



In winter, plants are exposed to injuries of wind, snow, 

 water, ice, mice, rabbits, and the like. Before the season 

 closes, the farmer should see that young trees stand stiff 

 and straight, and in order to keep them rigid and to afford 

 good surface drainage, it is sometimes well (especially 



