HOW TO MAKE GRAFTING WAX g5 



growers. A few recipes which are known to give good results are 

 as follows : 



Two Ibs. mutton tallow; 2 Ibs. beeswax; 4 Ibs. resin. 

 Two and one-fourth Ibs. resin; 2 Ibs. beeswax; y$ of a Ib. tallow. 

 One Ib. mutton tallow; 2 Ibs. beeswax; 4 Ibs. resin. 

 Two Ibs. resin; 2 Ibs. beeswax; l / 4 Ib. tallow, and a little linseed oil. 

 Two Ibs. resin; i Ib. beeswax, 2 l / 2 Ibs. linseed oil; 4 tablespoonfuls 

 turpentine. 



One Ib. beeswax; 5 Ibs. resin; i pint linseed oil; I oz. lampblack. 

 One Ib. beeswax; 5 Ibs. resin; i pint linseed oil; i pint flour. 



All these mixtures are made with the aid of gentle heat, and 

 during grafting the wax must be kept warm enough to apply easily 

 with a small brush. To do this the wax dish may be kept on a 

 hot brick, to be changed for a fresh one as it cools, or, better, still, 

 is to heat the wax in an old fruit-can or something' of that kind, 

 inside another, which is partly full of warm water. A more capa- 

 cious heater can be made by removing the top of a five-gallon oil 

 can and making a hole for draft on one side near the bottom. A 

 slow fire can be kept going to heat the wax pot which is suspended 

 from a rod across the top. A wire handle makes this outfit porta- 

 ble. The wax should not be so hot as to run too easily, but just 

 right to spread well. 



Grafting is greatly facilitated by the use of strips of waxed 

 cloth or waxed paper, the latter being quite good enough for grafts, 

 which are low enough to be protected by a ground covering; also 

 for root grafts. This waxed paper is made by spreading a thin coat 

 of wax, with a brush, upon tough, thin wrapping paper, cutting up 

 the paper, when cold, with a sharp knife, on a board, into strips 

 about an inch wide. Waxed cloth is made by dipping cheap cotton 

 cloth into hot wax, pulling the pieces between the edges of two 

 boards to take out as much wax as possible, and when the cloth is 

 cold, tearing it up into half-inch strips for small grafts or wider 

 strips for larger grafts. When grafting is going on in-doors, these 

 strips hanging near the stove are kept in good, soft condition for 

 use. 



There are grafting preparations which do not require heating, 

 but remain in a semi-fluid state, and then become very hard by 

 contact with the air. The following is a popular French prep- 

 aration : 



Melt one pound of resin over a gentle fire. Add to it one ounce of 

 beef tallow, and stir it well. Take it from the fire, let it cool down a little, 

 and then mix it with a tablespoonful of spirits of turpentine, and after that 

 add about seven ounces of very strong alcohol. The alcohol cools it down 

 so rapidly that it will be necessary to put it once more on the fire, stirring 

 in constantly. Great care is necessary to avoid igniting the alcohol. 



This wax is easily prepared, and when well corked will keep 

 for six months. It is put on the wounded part of the tree, very 



