The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-06-05
DOMESTIC.

WAN AND MORTAR FOR WOUNDS 49,.
Grating wax which | have been sue
Ccssful with for over forty years Is made
OF five parts, by weight, of resin, two
parts Of beeswaX Ito give it body to
stand the heat Of summer), two parts of
beef or-mutton tallOw, or y pint Of lin
seed oil, enough Of the latter or either
of the former to make the compound
pliablc when applied with the fingers
TO the gratis or wounds thus it can be
kept at the same temperature Of the
hands while applying it. The process
of making is the same rs that Of shoe
makers wax. This compound, you
perceive, Is partly vegetable and partly
animal. There can be no grating ma
tcrial made SO cOngennl to the bark of
the tree rs mortar Of loan and clay in
equal parts, and water enough to bring
it to the right consistency, beating
and tempering until it is thoroughly
Incorporated. 1t Is said that some
use horse manure free from straw, and
some add Il little hair like that used in
plastcring, TO prevent cracking. Un-
dOuDtedly both horse manure and hair
will pin the mortcr together, and make
1t wear well. But have always used
that made of equal parts of common
clay and loan and water by beating
and tempcring as above described.
Formerly it was applied to the stocks
and crowns on flax or tow as bandagc
to cover the mortar, to keep 1t in place,
and to prevent it from washing off in
showers, but now we use old calico for
bandages In strips say two or three
inches wide and twelve or more inches
long. The mortar is applied with a
wooden paddle or trowcl to one end of
the bannage in bunch without spread
ing, large enough to cover the stock,
and then applied by pressing it over
and around the stocks and scions with
the hands, and then winding the BAN
dagc neatly around, tucking under end
of the bandage. 1t can be quickly and
neatly done with Il little practice. AL
though grating wax is in general use,
because of its easy application, facts do
not prove that 1t Is congenlal to the
bark of fruit trees. The fnct is that oils
or fats, also vegetable drying oils, are
more or less injurious to the severed
bark Of the stock which absorbs them,
consequently the bark is unable to
make II lip or layer of wood and bark
over the wound, as when clay mortar Is
applied besides all vegetable oil, when
used in grating wax made Of rosin and
the air, rendering it hard, and thus
crowds the scions, preventing them
making wood inward over the stock,
especially If clcft-grafting is the mode;
young, vigorous growing trees over
come these bad effects more easily. |
think there can he no purely vegetable
grating wax made, us both vegetable
and unctious oils, are positive injury
to the bark Of trees; my experience is
in favor Of the latter in wax compound,
if either is to be used. The following
is highly recommended, but haven't
trlcd it! Mix equal parts of resin and
finely pulvcrized dry clay, adding sutfi-
ciont tuliow to render the wax the
consistency of chewing gum; apply
warm with Il wooden paddle. 1t neither
dries up, cracks nor pces off, and is so
cheap that it can he used for mending
or stopping cracks in barrels, smcaring
wounds on animals and many other
purposes.