Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1892-01-09
WAX OF THE FLEA TREE.
Much Like Our Parafilnc, But Made by
Chinese From Little Insects.

Much Like Our Paramnc, But Made by
Chinese From Little Insects.
The most interesting article of all the
many curious things which enter into
the trade of China is insect wax,
writes Minister DENLY from Picking to
the department of state. This product,
sometimes known as white wax, is oh
tanned in western China, not far from
the frontier of Thibet. II is gathered
from a tree called by the natives the
cracking flea tree" from the popping
of its branches when burned,
The tree is an evergreen, and in the
spring it bears clusters of white flow
crs, which are succeeded by fruit of a
dark purple color, Early in May nu-
merous brown pea-shaped scales ap-
pear on the bark of the boughs and
trunk. These, upon being opened, are
found TO contain a mass of small ami
mails, resembling flour in appearance,
whose movements are almost imper-
ceptible. The animals are the larvm
of the white wax insect, which owns
the scientific name of ''coccus-pe-la,"
People gather the scales and carry
them to the prefecture of Chatting,
which is the center of this industry.
For the journey they are wrapped in
packages containing about sixteen
ounces each. The utmost care is taken
to protect them from heat in order that
the Larvae may not develop prematurely.
The city of Chatting stands in the
midst of a plain which is al immense
rice field. The state of ground into
which this vast field is divided for pur-
poses of cultivation are edged with
stumps from four to twelve feet in
height, bearing numerous sprouts upon
their gnarled heads. These stumps re-
semble at a distance pollard willows.
The trees, however, are a species of
ashs. and are called by the Chinese
"white wax trees
Beneath their branches the white
wax scales are suspended in small
packages wrapped in leaves, about
twenty or thirty scales in each package.
Holes are punched in the lcafy wrap
pings and the insects on emerging from
the scales creep up the boughs to the
leaves of the trees, among which they
remain for two weeks. At the end of
that time they crawl back to the twigs
and branches, on which the females de-
posts their eggs and the males eXcretc
the substance know as white wax.
The first appearance of the wax on
the under sides OF the boughl and twigS
resembles snow, and it gradually
spreads over the whole of the branches
TO the depth of a quarter of an inch. AT
the expiration of one. hundred days
from the placing of the insects on the
trees the deposit is complete. The
branches are then cut off,
As much of the wax as possible is re-
moved by hand, but to secure what re.
mains the branches are aftcrward
boiled. This boi ing destroys the egrS,
thus making necessary the bringing OF
fresh scales the following year from
another locality, as above described. 4
pound Of scales, i is sid. will produce
four or FIVE pounds of wax.
The wax scraped off is put into boil
ing water, where it melts, and rising
to the surface, is skinned off and put
into molds. Here il solidifcs and the
work of manufacture is complete. The
insects, which have sunk to the bottom
of the pot, are pressed ont. and, when
the wax has all been extracted from
them. are fed to the pigs. \ ton Of the
is worth at Shanghai about one
thousand dollars
A tree from which the branches have
been removed is not available again for
productive purposes until the third year
following. II the wax is left on the
tree the male insects buried under il
undecgo a metamorphosiS, emerging
with wings in the autumn and flying
away.
This white wax is a substance Of
great utility in China. II melts only at
a very high temperaturc-iGl degrees
Fahrenheit-and is chiefly employed To
cover candles made of animal and vege-
table tallow to prevent them from burn
ing too rapidly. 1t is us7d in some lc-
c~ali,ies as a sizing for p per and cotton
goods, a g axe for silk and polish FOR
furniture. Also il is utilized il so1th-
crn China as a polish for stone orna-
mcn's Immense quantitie, n it are
shipped from the ports of the upper
Yangtse in iunks.
The introduction OF foreign kerosene.
now so univer ally used in China. h +,
had a discouraging influence on the pre-
duction of insect wax Mineral oil
in lamps affords a cheaper ligh, than
'allow candles. 1t is possible, howcye~,
that a use for the product ray b, found
in o her countries. y WASHINGTON Star.