The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1892-08-18
cAnpl Es MADE FROM PLANTS.
Vegetables Which Bear Wax and TaIlew
Facts About Camphor.

Several very curious substances OF
an iniiammable nature are produced
by plants" said naturalist to . WASH
ington Star writer. -Msny vegetable
species bear wax, which, in the form
ct minute scales on the surface OF the
plum and ether stone fruits, makes
what is called the bloom. 1t exists so
abuadantly in the fruit of Virginia
myrtle that the latter has received the
name of candle berry These berries
are collected in great quantities for
their wax and candles made from them
burn with remarkable brightness and
freedom from smoke, at the same time
giving out a pleasant fragrance. A
wax bearing tree exists In South
Africa the berries of which yield a
substance which is made into candles
By the Dutch. There are several
species of wax palms in South America.
One of them has its leaves covered with
scales of wax. while the trunk of
another kind is covered with the wax
as with varnish.
"A substance very like tallow is
Welded by a tree in China, the seeds
vessels of which are hard brownish
!
round white kernels, about the size
and shape of hazel nuts. These kerr
nels have small stones inside them,
around which the fatty matter lies.
From the pit of the stone an oil for
burning in lamps is pressed. Almost
all the candles used in the south of
China are made from this vegetable
| tallow A tree abounds on the NAL
! abar coast of India, called the .piney,'
I which bears PUPPY fruit that yields a
| great quantity of solid tallow approach
! Ing wax in firmness and superior TO
| animal fat for the manufacture of
| candles.
Another remarkable infammable
substance seereted by plants is cam
phor. 1t is chiefly obtained from a
| species Of laurel native to the East In
dies. In preparing it pieces of the
roots are put into an iron vessel tight
! " covered. When the vessel is heated
| the caJmphor rises in the form of vapOr
and is condensed on the cover. That
! is the primitive method, at all events,
though believe that it is improved
upon by cwly-invented processes. In
| old trees the camphor is sometimes
found, when the trunks are split open,
in a very pure state, forming small
! concretions or tears"
The latest novelty III the way OF COZ
lections is reported from Philadelphia.
1t is collection of door mats. In the
same town is also a man who collects
tin tags. and who owns them By the
| thousand. A Boston man devoIes MS
surplus energies to gathering pen
knives, and one in Albany goes in for
railroad timetables. A Buffalo woman
is forming a collection of more or less
WORKOUT gloves.
Of all the forty-siN American stamps
issuing countries Chile is the only one
up to this year, excepting one short
! lived 15-cent, that has properly honored
| Columbus. He appears conspicuous
on all their stamps. In 1869 the. United
| States issued 15-cent stamp showing
a picture of his landing Several of
this issue were printed in two colors,
and it so happened that in this 15-eent
the medallion containing the picture
got into circulation upside down, which
was discovered, and is now known az
! the "invcrted medallion" One was
! sold recently for 500