Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-04-11
BETTER THAN BFESWAX.
F.. PECULIAR INSECT SUBSTANCE or
STRANGE ORIGIN

.ion and the Uses to Which the Wax
IL Putt IL worth ST. Pound.
Recently the steamer Gaelic brought from
China three snni packages carefully in
closed in mating sad oil paper, and bearing
lhe superscriptinp. Vegetable wax; han
die with care.n The weight OF these pack
ages was about Cen pounds, but the value
Of the contents was alleged 70 be 5000, or
81 pound. The box was consigned 10
leading silk manufacturers at Paterson,
n J =, and the use to which the wax was to
be put is the glazing OF their mill product.
This wax is "a peculiar SD bstanCe, differing
materially from the bee product, and is in its
way a unique production. In fact it is the
only variety Of wax actually secreted by an
animal The wonderful Chinese compila-
ton Pen Tsao, Mu-Urh," that treats Of
every species OF the animal, vegetable and
mineral kingdom known to the author and
his collaborators, speaks Of this wax pro
ducing insect as Giving on dew and says
that wax perspires from its BODY
1T WAS KNOWN OF IN 1855
The substance is, when free from impur-
tiles, white, hard and translucent, melting
at 50 to So degs centigrude, and can be
in contact with. When used on textile
fabrics it imparts glossy sheen that en-
dures for long period. Being free from
stearic or any other acid it does not iniure
vegetable or any fibers.
In the work entitled 'Novus Atlas ST
nensis," by Martini, published at Rome in
1855, he first mention Of this peculiar wax
Is made known to Europeans The Jesuit
g. l., ,5
Chinese matters, also mention the subject,
but until 1890 the world at large was in
ignorance Of the true habits of the wax
producing insect and the methods EN-
ploycd to gather the wax. This knowledge
was gained by Mr. Hosie of the British
consular service, who was stationed at
Chun King on the upper Yangtse river, in
the border province Of Szechuen. His en-
tomological and botanical Identification Of
the subject is admitted to be conclusive,
and sets at rest the questions that have
been raised from time TO time.
The insect itself belongs to the family Of
CoccidB, an order that embraces the cochi-
neal bug lac insect, the mealy bug, vine
gall and coffee bug. It begins its life on
the leaves Of large leaved priyet Of tho
laurel type in the form Of small scales, pre-
sumably eggs.
HOW THE WAX Is SECURED
The tree grows in the Chen Chang val
ley. The embryo insect scales are gathered
from the leaves and made up into paper
packages Of a catty each Zone and oue-third
poundsl, and in loads Of sixty pounds
porters carry them over mountain and
stream TO the high lands near Chatting
foo in Szechuen. Only during the cool
nights the porters travel. as during the
day the temperature is too high and would
tend 20 the development of the insects and
their escape from the scales. Upon arrival
at the high lands the scales are uupacked,
and from twenty to thirty, inclosed in n
leaf OF the wood oil tree, are attached 10
the branches Of a species OF mountain ash
Fraxiuus Chinensis).
Thirteen days is said TO ~ the period of
incubation, and when the insects emerge
from the scales they travel from the
branches to the leaves, nesting among
them for a week Taking up positions on
the branches, the females commence to de-
post scales, while the males excrete the
substance known as white wax. Tho wax
appears as a white coating on the under
side of the leaves and twigs, and gradually
spreads over the whole branch, attaining
after three months a thickness Of a quarter
of an inch.
The branches are then Topped off and the
wax remov.l uar,ly by hand, this being
the first quality, aud partly by boiling the
branches, this latter method rendering the
wax dark and inferior. Finally the In
sects that have sunk TO the bottom Of the
pot arc placed In a bag and squeezed under
a rude press until they give up the last
drop Of their product. Owing to the crude
treatment the insects and eggs are de-
stroyed, rendering necessary the supply of
fresh scales by the method described
HOW THE WAX Is USED
Although undivided attention and re-
search were given TO the insects during the
period OF production and their active ex-
istence, to the unaided eye there is no
visible impression on leaves or bark. The
deduction is therefore drawn that the wax
is actually produced from the resources Of
the insects internal economy, and not OBJ
tanned from the vegetable tissue OF the
tree. The strange fact remains that both
the laurel and ash, upon which the insect
is matured and rests in an embryo state,
are both members Of the order Oleacae to
which the olive tree belongs.
The Chinese use the wax for coating the
tallow candles used in temples and in the
homes Of the wealthy, as a glaze for fine
paper, silks and cottons, and also to polish
high grades Of furniture and ornaments
So valuable is the wax deemed that the ut
most care is taken in its transport 80 It's
destination, and it is placed in the treasure
rooms OF the steamers that carry il from
the upPsr Yangtse ports TO Shanghai and
Other points on the Chinese coast, thereby
iucurrius an expense Of extra f,eightage.
Were it possible TO procure supply Of
the eggs OF this wax producing insect
there is no doubt that they could be propa-
gated in California, as the laurel. ASH and
olive grow IN luXuriance in the state, and
valuable article Of commerce would be
secured. The entire production is esti-
mated to be only 10000 to 1900 pounds
during the season, from April TO June. It
r exported from the two western provinces
81 China, Szechuen and Honan.-San
Francisco Chronicle.
WILD eUFFALOES IN AUSTRALIA.
There Are Many Herds OF Them in the
Unsettled Parts Of the big Island.
Although I have been over tLjrty-seven
years in Australia, it was not until eighteen
months ago that ! was aware that there
was a breed Of Wild buTaioes in these coli
ouies, and venture 10 say that not per