356 
by crystallisation from ligroine, in which it is less soluble; it 
then consists chiefly of myricyl alcohol and a substance of the 
formu Ay VU33tt eel’. 
_ The crude cane wax, thus obtained, melts above 80° and is still 
dark coloured. It may be bleached by means of chlorine, when it 
is, however, attacked to some extent. The colouring matter may 
also be removed by adding fuller’s earth or a similar substance to 
the melted or dissolved wax, and allowing to settle. The product, 
refined by this mechanical process, closely resembles the valuable 
Carnauba wax, obtained from the Brazilian Palm Copernicia cerifera. 
It would appear that the latter wax can be replaced in most cases 
by cane wax, so that there ought to be a market for the latter 
article. The author advises sugar works to keep their filter dirt 
and let it ferment, with a view to ultimate extraction. The 
extraction of the crude material is being started in Java, where, 
it is calculated, more than 4000 tons of wax should annually be 
obtainable. At present, it is impossible to estimate the commercial 
value of cane wax with any degree of accuracy. Since it is much 
‘harder than beeswax, and closely resembles Carnauba wax, it is 
thought that it might be almost as valuable as the latter article, 
which is worth at least 11d. per lb. The author estimates the cost 
of producing refined cane wax on the large scale at 2d.-3d. per lb. 
In the development of a chemical industry the utilisation of waste 
products is often of great importance ; whether the wax of the 
sugar cane can be utilised technically remains to be seen, but in any 
case Mr, Wijnberg’s book is a most important contribution towards 
the solution of the problem. 
Flowers out of Season.—Althongh mild, the past autumn was not 
exceptionally so; several recent autumns have at any rate sur- 
passed it in this respect. Yet an unprecedented number of shrubs 
which flower normally in spring were more or less in blossom in 
October. These unseasonable flowers open poorly, or often get 
scarcely beyond the bud state. Some, like the varieties of common 
lilac, have pushed many young inflorescences just beyond the 
protecting winter scales, and they are thus left exposed to the 
inclemencies of the winter. 
On October 21st, 1910, the following shrubs were noted with 
fully open flowers ; some, like the Laburnum, with entire inflor- 
escences ; they were all from three to seven months befoie their 
proper season :—Berberis Gagnepainii, Ceanothus thyrsiflorus, 
Deutzia setchuenensis, Erica hybrida and E. lusitanica, Escallonia 
Philippiana, Forsythia suspensa, Fothergilla major, Genista virgata, 
Glastonbury Thorn, Hamamelis arborea and H. Zuccariniana, 
Laburnum alpinum, Spiraea bracteata, S. Thunbergi and $8. Van 
Houttei, Syringa villosa, Viburnum Tinus, V. rhytidophylium, 
V.utile. As might be expected, a good number of late summer 
or autumn-flowering shrubs still remained in bloom. 
W. J. B. 
