The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1907-04-22
WAxMAKlNG INSECT.
A Novel Industry Pursued In Remote
Part of China.

Part of China.
At the far side of China, where
it almost penetrates the secret OF
Tibet and Is itself very much Of a
secret to the rest Of the world, the
natives conduct an industry which is
novel in many respects and involves
pilgrimage Of great length every
year It is the raising of insects
that makes wax. Tie wax is used in
many parts Of China for making
temple images and candles covered
with odd raised characters
The female insects are about the
size and shape of shoe buttons. The
males are like miniature beets In
shape and a quarter of an inch long.
The insects have a peculiar charac-
teristic. They will not secrete the
wax In their birthplaces. So about
May ! of each year the willy Chinese
take them from the branches of the
trees where they were born and
porters carry them many miles away
ACROSS the mountains and rivers.
For hundreds of miles they are car
ried to a part Of the country where
grows the towering ash upon which
they delight to feed and to deposit
the wax. There are thousands Of
these porters in the province of SEE
chuen.
It is strange procession which
strings out from the Chienchang
valley in May: Each porter is dress
ed in rain coat of straw, which
makes him look JHery much like .
sheaf of grain. He carries two BAN
boo baskets fastened together with
curved sticks. The sticks fit over
his shoulders, one basket being be-
fore and tie other behind. His bur-
den consists of gourds containing
the insects. The females are almost
ready to deposit their eggs. There
are thousands of insects in the
gourds and wrapped in leaves picked
from the wood oil tree.
1t is nightfall when the porter
sets out on his journey of 400 miles.
He carries In one hand a lantern,
for he must do all of his travelling
by night. The heat of the noonday
sun might cause the females to lay
their eggs prematurely. Along the
rude roads he swings through the
night, his lantern Pickering as it
sways to and fro. Now he passes
through silent village or city with |
out stopping. The gates have been
left open for his passage in order
that there may be no delay. At |
last over his right shoulder the hori-
zon begins to grow light. The birds |
are tumbling out of their nests with
a few sleepy notes. AS he drags his
weary feet along, the hilltop grad
ually brightens into flaming red
and the birds are singing. Now he
seeks out cool, shady retreat,
where the basket may be protected
from the heat and he himself may |
curl up his tired limbs until even |
ing. So the porter travels his lone |
ly way night after night until he
reaches his destination.
His journey ended he immediate
ly goes to his master and delivers
his burden of gourds. At once the |
ieafy bags are tied on the branches
of the ash trees, which are only five
or six feet high. a blunt needle is
pushed through the leaves in each
bag in order that the insects may
find their way out. Once they have
left their case they creep rapidly
up to the leaves of the trees and be-
gin to feed. In a couple of weeks
they scatter along the branches, and
after short time the eggs are
hatched and the wax is being de-
posted on the twigs. By Sept. I
the trees look as II covered with
snow 1t is a snow, however, not
to the temperatures which
wipe out ordinary snow. The
branches are then cut off and their
quarter of an inch of pure white
coating IS scraped off. The wax is
heated, strained and turned into the
molds.
Besides being used for illuminat-
ing purposes this wax serves as a
polish for furniture and is used for
a gloss to silk. The in
1nstry is said to have been originat-
ID 200 years before Christopher Co
-umbus set his foot on this CONT
lent.-New York Tribune.