102 A NATURALIST IN WESTERN CHINA 



as my observations go, they indicate that it is always on the 

 Privet that the insect breeds, but Baber asserts that either 

 tree will serve, and this is probably true. 



Several of these cone-Hke scales, full of eggs, are wrapped 

 together in thin paper bags, which are arranged in airy crates 

 and carried by porters with all possible speed to the city of 

 Hungya, where they are disposed of to the farmers. During 

 the month of Ma}'^ hundreds of coolies are engaged in this traffic. 

 The larvae hatch out quickly, more especially if the season is 

 hot and early, in which case the travelling is mostly done at 

 night by the aid of lanterns. The journey of nearly 200 miles 

 over difficult mountain roads is accomplished in six days. 

 Aided by relays, the porters who carry these insects cover 

 30 to 40 miles per day ; in ordinary circumstances 20 miles 

 a day is a high average for porters in the west. 



For the production of the wax it is immaterial whether the 

 Ligustrum or Fraxinus is used. Some districts favour the 

 latter, others the former ; very frequently the two trees are 

 grown side by side. The trees are planted round the edges of 

 the fields, and are polled some 5 or 6 feet from the ground. The 

 lateral shoots, which develop from the polled heads, are always 

 one or more years old ere the insects are placed on them. The 

 propagation of these trees is effected by taking thick branches, 

 slicing off a portion of the bark and a little of the wood, and 

 surrounding the incised area with a ball of mud and straw. 

 Roots form in the baU of mud, and the branch is then 

 severed from the parent tree, and is planted at the side of a 

 field, where it quickly develops into a tree. 



In the wax-producing area of the Kiating prefecture 

 myriads of these pollarded trees are cultivated by the farmers 

 and peasants. Previous to the arrival of the insects in May, 

 the branches on which it is intended to place insects are 

 denuded of their laterals along the basal half of their length. 

 The cultivator, having purchased his insects, wraps loosely a 

 few cones in a broad leaf and suspends these tiny " bags " 

 among the branches of either Fraxinus or Ligustrum trees, or 

 of both. The larvae quickly hatch out and crawl up into the 

 tree and ascend to the leaves, where they remain for fourteen 

 days until " their mouths and limbs are strong." During this 



