and a half pounds of raw linseed oil. Boiled oils often con- 

 tain chemicals injurious to plant life. If the wax is to be 

 used in cold weather^ it is better to use only seven and a 

 half pounds of resin and a half pound of beeswax in the 

 mixture^ thus giving slightly thinner consistency. 



The ingredients are slowly heated together until the resin 

 and wax are melted and all thoroughly combined. This 

 composition when partly cooled is poured into pressed tin 

 pans^ to make cakes of convenient size for handling. The 

 mixture sticks to the tin with great persistence; but by 

 turning the pan upside down and pouring boiling water 

 over it the wax can be shaken from the pan. 



These cakes are broken into pieces of convenient size^ 

 and in use the wax is kept warm in any convenient dish or 

 pan having a short strong handle. The wax may be heated 

 over a small coal-oil stove^ and when applied to the grafts 

 should be much warmer than can be borne by the hand^ 

 but not hot enough to scald the plant tissues. If heated in 

 a double heater, the danger of overheating is lessened. 



If applied with care with a small paint brushy first around 

 the thick bark of the stocky and later^ as the wax on the 

 brush cools^ on and about the cuts and open joints^ no harm 

 will result. The plan of brushing the hot wax about the 

 graft, instead of applying it by the fingers in the tedious 

 old-fashioned way saves nine-tenths of one's time^ and does 

 far better work than could ever be done by the old method. 



If the wax should prove to be too soft and sticky^ as is 

 sometimes the case in very warm weather, melt it over 

 again with more resin added. If too brittle, add a little 

 more linseed oil so as to bring it to the right consistency to 

 spread well, and at the same time *'set" well on cooling. 

 It gives the most satisfactory results when about the con- 

 sistency of ordinary chewing gum. — Luther Burbank. 



(Vol. II, p. 309-322) 



An Apple Graft One Year Old 



As evidence of the success of Mr. Burhomh^s 

 methods in producing quick results, the apple 

 graft illustrated on the opposite page, shown in 

 full hearing after only one year's growth, speaks 

 eloquently . 



14 



