The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-04-30
The following gives the exports
from the port of Ceara:

a
was also shipped fin 1858, 1,124,3 1920
lbs, valued at 938,055. From spec
ial information it appears thai the
minimum export from these two
ports in 1862 was 100000 lbs, and
the quantity consumed in the prov
ince of Ceara being estimated at
100000 lbs, it follows that the total
quantity OF carnauba obtained in
1862 was over 2,560,0O0 lbs, of the
official value of nearly 100000. l
may obs erve that of all the provinces
of Brazil where the carnauba palm
grows, that of Ceara alone gives any
attention to the collection, and even
there only the districts Of Aracati and
Ceara make of it an important indus
try. cannot hut think the official
statistics given above are far below
the reality, for the province OF Ceara
has more than half million inhabi-
tants, and these employ carnauba
wax alone for lighting. There is al
so very active commerce carried on
with the adjoining provinces In car
nauba candles, transactions which do
not come under the control OF the
customs; and, as the churches are
exclusively lighted with them, these
facts should be taken into account in
the consumption. The commerce In
this wax has increased considerably
since 1862; in 1868 the official ell
tries of exports through the custom
house of Ceara, and its out-port,
Aracati, were upwards of 2,OOO,OOO
lbs. of this wax. Surprising the
local consumption to have increased
in the same proportion, this brings
ND the production of carnauba wax
to over 100000 lbs. Taking these
figures for basis we may try to dis
cover the number of trees required
to furnish that quantity of wax.
The harvest of leaves is made during
six consecutive months, by cutting,
twice month. making thus twelve
cuttings in the year. Each tree
gives on the average eight leaves at
each cutting, which forms an annual
yield of ninety.six leaves per tree.
From an interesting notice by M. =.
+. de Lima, distinguished agricul-
turist of Ceara, learn that five hum
bred leaves on good land yield 80
lbs. of wax, but it takes twelve hum
dred leaves on poor land to yield the
same quality. Taking the mean OF
these two quantities of leaves, we
find that it requires eight hundred
and fifty leaves to obtain Is kilo-
grammes, or 80 lbs. OF wax. AS each
tree furnishes on the average ninety
six leaves a year, to ascertain the
annual product of each tree, | take
the following proportions calculating
| in kilogrammes Off lbs.): $50: 49,:
90: &C. The result for ninety-six
leaves, or for one tree, is 1.SO7 kilo-
gramme. To ascertain the number
| of palms necessary for the production
| of 100000 kilogrammes Tor 4,OOO,-
600 lbs.) of wax, the yield of 1868, it
suffices to establish the following
| proportion: l kilo. SO7: l: 2,O00,.
900: q. We find the result to be
/, 1O6,799 trees. This number scarce
ly represents one.fifth part OF the car
nauba palms distributed over the
various provinces of Brazil. This
palm thus produces an annual reve-
nue. of about Is. Sd. per tree, which
is the more important, as the tree re-
quires no outlay for culture, and
suffers nothing from droughts, heavy
rains, or fires. The vegetable wax,
which covers in a light powder the
leaves of the carnauba, is scattered
through tie atmosphere, borne by
the winds, when 1t is not collected
by the hand of man.
| continued aeIt 2Veek