The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-05
BETTER THAN BEESWAx.
A PECULIAR INSECT SUBSTANCE o.
STRANGE ORIGIN.

STRANGE ORIGIN.
Recent Investigation of Its Production.
How the Insects Feed-rheir Prop.xa-
tioa and the Uses to which the Wax
Is Pus-It L. Worth 81 = Pound.
Recently the steamer Gaelic brought from
China three smsll packages carefully in
closed in mating and oil paper, and bearing
the superscription, Vegetable wax; han-
die with care" The weight of these pack
ages was about GOO pounds, but the value
of the contents was alleged TO be 500, or
81 a pound The box Was consigned TO
leading silk manufacturers At Paterson,
\. j.. and the use TO which tue wax was 10
be put Is the glazing OF their mill product.
This wax is a peculiar substance, differing
materially from the be product, and = IN its
way unique production. In TACT il is The
oaly variety Of wax actually secreted by an
animal The wonderful Chinese compils-
ton Pen Tsao, Mu.Urh,n that treats Of
every species Of the animal. vegetable and
mineral kingdom known to the author aud
his collaborators. speaks Of this wax pro-
ducing insect as living on dew" anu says
1T WAS KNOWN OF IN less
The substance Is when free frem iInnur-
tiles, white, hard and translucent, meiting
st - 10 s. dogs. censigrade. and can DO
handled without soiling anything it comes
ia contact with. When used on textile
fabrics il impsrts glossy sheen that en-.
dures for long period. Being free from
stearic or any other acid, II does not inlure
vegetable or any fibers.
In the work entitled "Novus Atlas ST.
nensis, by Martini. Published at Rome in
1855, the frs, mention OF this peculiar wax
is made known TO Europeans. The Jesuit
fathers. in their various monographs on
Chinese matters also mention the subject,
but until 1890 the world at large was ia
ignorance OF the true habits OF the wax
producing insect and the methods en-
pioyed 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-
tomologieal 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
Coccida, an order that embraces the coehi-
neal bug, lac insect, the mealy bug. vine
gall and coffee bug =; begins its life on
the leaves OF large lesved privet Of the
laurel type in the form of small scales, pre-
sumab.y eggs.
HOW THE WAX IS SECURED.
The tree grows ia the Ctien rang val
ley The embryo insect scales are gathered
from the leaves and made up into paper
packages of catty each tone and one. third
pounds), 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. ~ during tEe
day the temperature is too high and would
tend to the development of the insects and
their escape from the scales. Upon arrival
at the high lands the scales are unpacked,
and from twenty To thirty, inclosed in a
leaf of the wood oil tree, are attached 10
the branches of species Of mountain ash
(Fraxinus Chinensis)
Thirteen days IL said 10 be the period q
incubation, and when the insects emergs
from the scales they travel from tie
branches 10 the leaves. nesting among
them for week. Taking up positions ou
post scales. while the males excreie tho
substance known A. white wax. The wax
appears az a white coating on the under
tide of the leaves and twigs. and gradually
spreads over the whole branch, attaining
after three months thickness OF d quarter
1f an inch.
The branches are then Topped OF and the
wax removed partly by hand, this being
The first quality, and partly by boiling tho
branches, this latter method rendering tho
wax dark and inferior. Finally the ia
,ects that have sunk 10 the bottom 81 tho
pot are placed ia bag and squeezed under
4 rude press until they give up the lat
irop Of their product Owing 10 the crude
treatment the insects and eggs are do
itroyed, rendering Necessary the supply Of
fresh scales by the method described
HOW THE MAX Is Used.
Although undivided attention and re-
search were given 20 the insects during tbs
1eriOd Of production and their active g.
stence. TO the Uua.ded eye tbere Ia no
fisible impression on leave or bark Tho
deduction j. Therefore drawn that the wax
$ actually produced from the resources II
he insects Internal economy. and not Oh
aimed from the vegetable tissue of tba
rec The strange fact remains that both
he laurel and ash. upon which The insect
: mstured and rests In an embryo state.
re both members Of the order Oieacss, -
which the olive tree belongs
The Chinese use She WAX for coating fbs
allow candies used IN temples aud in tho
ZONES Of tue wealthy. As "A giazs for fine
'aper, silks and oottons. and also 70 polish
ugh grades o. furniture and ornaDsBts-
10 valuable is the wax deemed that the az
most care Is taken IA its transport 70 ~
estimation, and II i placed 10 the treasure
ooTns OF the steamers that carry II from
be upper fahgt~e ports u Shanghai Sgf
Their points Gu the Chine.e coaAt. thereby
occurring 40 expense Of extra freigbtsg~.
Were IL possible 20 procure = supply q
be Eggs Of thiS wax producing insect
here /. no doubt that they could be propa-
afed ia California ns toe isarel. ash sni
i've grow IN lGTariAucs In tbs STATE. ant
valuable article n commerce. would ~
.cur~d tn. entire production u sssl-
iatet 70 Be only 1900 70 1900 pounds
1ring the season. from April 70 Jnne IL
exported from TIA two western provinces
China. SzrehDen aud Hcasn.-Saa
rsnc.soo Chroniels.
Typhoid t. Sill ole q the most common
'Ters. bat IL u known % be = 9th dissass.
I'd nas already BEEN limited Ia ia raa2s
1Ilsr and uors intelligent. attention 90
genie conditions. prsTzss Apd paklie.
az Jet drive !t almost completely cat &
TII!zsd Lands.
an