234 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Phoenicea and the Grecian Isles — was the almost equally noble, " scar- 

 let " and " crimson," often named in the Bible and other very ancient 

 writings, as the most conspicuous and enduring of colors. These 

 colors were also introduced into Egypt and the Eastern Monarchies by 

 the enterprising Phoenicians, who obtained this " Kermes grain " or 

 " Scarlet seed " from a small species of evergreen r»ak ( ^uercus cocci- 

 /era J which grows along the coasts of ''Tarshisb," now Europe, and 

 in many other parts of the world. The coloring matter in this, and in 

 all similar species, resided in The dried, female scales, which, at certain 

 seasons of the year, were brushed or scraped from the twigs and in- 

 Insed in water. Another very important " Kermes grain" is found in 

 Poland and the western and northern shores of the Black sea, in the 

 form of a scale insect on the roots of the knawel ( Sclcra7ithus ■peren- 

 nis.) This is still used by the Turks and Armenians for dying silk and 

 wool, and for staining the tips of the women's fingers, producing the 

 most beautiful rose colors. 



AmoDg the very first treasures seat back by the Spaniards from 

 Mexico to their native country, early in the 16th century, was the won- 

 derful cochineal insect {Coecus cacti)? which, it was found produced 

 nearly ten times as much coloring matter to the pound as any of the 

 eastern scarlet seeds. This proved to be the most valuable of dying 

 materials up to a very. recent date, when the discovery of the aniline 

 dyes, as one of the various products of coal tar, reduced its commer- 

 cial importance. It is still, however, very largely used and is indis- 

 pensable for tinting confectionery, preparing children's paints and many 

 other purposes for which the more or less poisonous mineral dyes are 

 not adapted. It is in the form of a brown scale which feeds upon a 

 cactus resembling our common prickly pear. At certain seasons of 

 the year these scales are brushed from the plant with a squirrel's or 

 stag's tail by the patient Indian women who will sometimes spend a 

 half day collecting from a single plant. It is said that it takes 70,000 

 insects to weigh a pound. In 1856, before the mineral colors had 

 usurped its place, the exportation of this precious scale from Mexico 

 and the West Indies, to which it had been introduced, amounted to 

 nearly 2,000,000 pounds. 



Another very valuable product of certain coccids is a peculiar re- 

 sin called lac. This is indispensable in the manufacture of many of 

 the finest varnishes and sealing waxes, and especially so in the prepa-, 

 rations of lacquers for coating brass and other metals. The insects 

 secreting those useful scales live on a variety of trees in India and the 

 substance is produced in great abundance and' is one of the staple 

 exports to the surrounding nations, as well as to Europe and America- 



