146 THE SMALL COUNTRY PLACE 



Grafting wax may be purchased of any dealer in horti- 

 cultural supplies, or may be made of four parts rosin, 

 two parts beeswax, and one part tallow or linseed oil. 

 When these are thoroughly melted together in a kettle 

 and cooled a little the mixture may be poured into a pail 

 of water and then drawn out in sticks like molasses 

 candy, or it may be allowed to become nearly hard and 



then cut out of the kettle 

 and drawn. For grafting in 

 cold weather a little more oil 

 or tallow may be used. In 

 covering the wounds the wax 

 is drawn out in small strips 

 and pressed firmly over the 

 split on each side, over the 

 top of the cleft, crowding it 



FIG. 48 Grafting: Stock After . r 



the Wax Has Been Put On. down into the cleft, and a 

 little on the end of each scion. To keep the wax from 

 sticking to the fingers a little soap or beef or mutton 

 tallow may be rubbed over the hands. 



Time for Grafting. For the apple and pear the best 

 time is just as the buds are beginning to swell. For 

 plums and cherries the work should be done a week or 

 two earlier. Fig. 49 shows a tree one year after graft- 

 ing, Fig. 50 one three years after grafting. 



Pruning or regrafting alone, however, will not reno- 

 vate old fruit trees permanently; more plant food of 

 some kind must be applied. A heavy mulch of straw, 

 coarse manure, forest leaves, brush, etc., spread out as 

 far as the branches reach, or plowing and cultivating 

 must be given them, or they will relapse into their old 

 condition in a very few years. To produce high color 

 and fine quality in our fruit some potash is needed in 

 addition to the fertilizing elements in our stable manure 

 and mulch. This may be wood ashes from one-half to 



