On some grafts it is desirable to use a bit of paper, either beneath or outside of the raffia, to make waxing easier. For this I have found scraps of Japanese paper napkin very adaptive to surfaces and absorptive of wax.
On very heavy grafts Dr. Morris uses the Spanish windlass, as devised by him, for which he carries sisal cord, wooden or metal meat skewers, small staples and a mallet. He uses a chisel to cut slots in very thick bark and planes for shaping heavy grafts.
I have tried fastening in grafts with a nail, using iron and brass nails and bank pins. Mr. Jones has suggested cement covered nails. My experience with iron nails is that they damage the scions. The use of nails has not been fully worked out. They are almost essential in bridge grafting apple trees. I think that just the right kind of a staple might be a help with some kinds of grafts.
Paper bags, 2 pound size, are sometimes wanted, for protection from sun or insects or to make the grafts conspicuous. Mr. Jones shades grafts made close to the ground with a slip of paper.
For labels for immediate use the wooden ones, painted on one side and with copper wire fastening, are satisfactory. Attach them by the nurseryman's method, which it has taken me many years to recognize as the right one, by twisting the doubled wire around a convenient object. Do not separate the wires which will probably permit the label to flap in the wind and soon wear out the wires. I used to think that the nurseryman's method was the result of hurry or laziness.
Copper labels, to be written on with a stylus, cost 1-1/2 or 2 cents each, according to size. The smaller I consider preferable. I imagined that these would solve the label problem. Picture my disappointment when I found that many of them cracked, or broke off entirely near the eyelet, from flapping in the wind. If they are to be used they must be fastened so as not to move with the wind. Mr. Bixby has an excellent label made on an aluminum strip printing machine. It has a hole in each end and is fastened with a heavy copper wire. He uses two of these labels on each tree. Dr. Morris sometimes uses a heavy wire stake to which he fastens the labels. A good method of attaching labels, and one that does away with the risk of girdling the graft or tree, is to fasten the label to a staple driven into the tree. The matter of labels is a troublesome one for they will get lost no matter what you do.
Other conveniences of equipment are a small whetstone, a small hammer, matches, and some volatile oil, like citronella, lavender, wintergreen, or other black fly and mosquito repellant. It is almost suicidal to slap a mosquito on the back of your neck with a keen grafting knife in your hand. A supply of parowax and alcohol for the lantern's sake should be remembered.
Technique
If the stocks are vigorous and active, and the scions full of vitality, I doubt if the technique is of chief importance, provided it is ordinarily good. However, a good technique will increase the percentage of success. One should have a variety of methods at command for varying conditions of stocks and scions.
One may come as near 100% success in grafting hickories as one is able and willing to observe all the known factors of success. I think that we can say now that the factors of success in hickory grafting are known. They are a vigorous and active stock, a scion of abundant vitality, coaptation of the freshly cut cambium layers and prevention of desiccation.