On Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:30:05 -0700, harry wrote:

The cut end needs to be treated with a wax protection and ideally a
piece of lead or substantial plastic nailed over to keep the rot out.

I drop branches all the time and don't use any 'wax protection'.

I simply cut close to the tree, close enough for the tree to heal around
the cut, and, at a steep angle such that water runs off (although it
never rains here for 3/4 of the year).