94 NUT GROWING 



of the idea. This method consists in covering the 

 entire graft, buds and all, with melted grafting wax. 

 Buds when sprouting make their way through the 

 hard grafting wax without any difficulty. The wax 

 used by Mr. Jones contained lamp black, and that 

 used by Mr. Riehl consisted of a beeswax and resin 

 mixture. It was found that these were successfully 

 applicable in the north but not so freely farther 

 south in the hotter sun. Examining into the reasons 

 for this there seemed to be a probability that the 

 black grafting wax of Mr. Jones and the brawn or 

 amber grafting wax of Mr. Riehl would naturally 

 allow the heat ray from the sun to pass through to 

 the graft while halting the actinic ray of light. The 

 latter is extremely valuable for promoting the ac- 

 tivity of bud chlorophyl, which acts only in the pres- 

 ence of light and in the best way in the best light. 

 Furthermore, the heat rays would doubtless have 

 certain destructive qualities at times. With this 

 theoretical idea of the situation in mind I employed 

 melted paraffin in place of the grafting wax, cover- 

 ing the scions, buds and all, as well as the wound in 

 the stock and the wrappings, with translucent par- 

 affin. This immediately proved to be a success. In 

 fact it appears to have changed the entire subject 

 of grafting in such a way that almost any one em- 

 ploying this method may now do any sort of tree 

 grafting. Melted paraffin fills the interstices in which 

 sap might collect and ferment but at the same time 

 hardening so quickly that it does not introduce the 

 danger of a mechanical obstacle between points of 



