The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-08-19
JAPANESE LACQUER.
n Sman Tree che Juice of which Makes
a Capital yarufsh.

~ small Tree che Juice OF which Makes
Capital varnish.
very interesting experiment has re-
Gently been recorded as having been
conducted at Frankfort by Prof Rein,
OF Bonn, so well known for his splen-
oidly illustrated work on Japanese arts
One of the principal of these arts is that
OF lacquering, in which no other nation
can excel the Japanese. The art is one
OF great antiquity, and the old examples
are very costly. The lacvuer, unlike
the European varnishes and polishes,
which are compound substances, con-
slsts of the juice of small tree known
TO botanists as Rhus vernicifera, and
this juice is drawn from the trunks by
making incisions in them, from which
1t flows into bamboo pots placed to re-
celve it. The juices of this and all
other species of Rhus are extremely
acrid and poisonous, blistering the skin
severely If allowed to come in contact
with it. Consequently the Japanese
collectors use thick gloves to cover the
hands during the process of collecting.
After the crude juice has been drawn
from the tree it is prepared in different
ways by the Japanese experts. and the
process of applying it to wood or metal
work is a very tedious one. and one
which can only be properly effected by
native artist The modern lacquer
ware of Japan, however, is a totally
different article from that of one hun
'Sred and fifty or even one hundred
I'd Il.
demand in the European markets for
cheap lacquercd articles, in consequence
of which they have to he produced
quickly and in large quantities. so that
a very inferior article is produced, both
in design and finish. Nevertheless, the
process Of lacquering has never been
mastered by Europeans.
1t has been tried by practical varnish-
makers in this country, but always
without success, and it is now thought
by Prof. Rein that il the trees could be
established in Eu rope and the juice
freshly drawn from the trunks some of
the difficulties Of its manipulation might
be overcome. Considering that several
species of Rhus are hardy plants in our
son why Rhus vernicifera should not be
included among them. Indeed, this
question seems set at rest by the fact
that number of healthy trees, some
thirty feet high, are now fiourishing at
Frankfort, the trees originally planted
there having produced seed, from which
other trees have been raised.
The next question seemed to be
whether the changed conditions of
growth and climate would in any wav
affect the nature or co IMPOSITION of the
juice, and to prove this some of the
trees at Frankfort have been tapped,
and the juice sent to Japan TO be ex-
perimented with by the native artists.
Besides this the native and European
juices have been analysed by German
chemists, upon whose reports, coupled
with those of the Japanese artists. il is
expected the fate of lacquering as an
industry in Europe will stand or fall.
If the reports on the quality Of the juice
from Japan be favorable it is proposed
to plant the tree largely and bring over
some expert workers from Japan to teach
their peculiar art to European students.
There is, however, another use TO
which the Japanese lacquer tree might
be put should it prove to take so kindly
to European soil as to produce its fruits
abundantly. These individual fruits
are small-not much larger than pea,
but somewhat hattened-and are borne
in punches or clusters. They are COW
cred with thin, light brown, shiny
skin, under which and Immediately sur
rounding the seed is deposit of white
wax, which forms, with that of an al
lied species (Rhus succedanea). the
product known as Japan wax, which is
nscd by the Japanese for making can
dies and is also exported in large guam
titles to China and to this country To
some extent for similar purpose, as well
as for making wax matches -lnduStries