In 1937, Shear[2] published a report on a number of wound dressings for
trees in which he observed that lanolin exerts a marked action in
stimulating cambial growth. This led me to try various wax combinations
in which lanolin was incorporated, and a mixture of equal parts of
lanolin and beeswax has become the base for most of my experimental
grafting wax mixtures. I have commented already on the importance of
incorporating an opaque ingredient to exclude light. Experiments in
progress this season have had to do with introduction of green vs. red
dye and with the incorporation of a wax soluble pyrridyl mercuric
stearate[3] as a fungicide.
I have recommended painter's masking tape for tying in scions in all
cases in which moderate tension is sufficient. A winding of such a tape
of course excludes the grafting wax from contact with the line of
cambial contact, so any favorable action which any ingredient in the wax
might have must be largely interfered with. If a tape is prepared with a
thin coating of plastic grafting wax on one side to serve as the
adhesive, it should be possible to bring the wax into contact with the
cut cambial surface without, however, introducing such a mass of wax as
would make its way between stock and scion and interfere with contact.