On the JJ'ax-Trce cf Louiftana and Vennfylvania. 263 



I ft, Myrica cerifera angujijfolia, which grows in Louifi- 

 ina. This tree is delic;ue, tlf)\vers with difficuhy in our 

 green-houres : its ll-cds are Imall-cr than thole of the fol- 

 io w in (j. 



2d, Afyrica cer'ifcra latifultJ, which grows in Pennfylva- 

 nia, Carolina, and Virginia. It does not rife to fuch a height 

 as the former, and is perfeftly naturalized in France. Thefe 

 \.\\o Myrict^ are of the family of ihe diocci. 



They are both cuhivated at the Mufeum des Plantes and 

 in the gardens of C. Cels and Lenionier. 



C. iVlichauh admits a ihird fpecies ofl^Tjrlca ccrifera, which 

 he calls the dwarf wax-tree. C. Ventenat thinks that wax 

 Kiay be extra£led from all the IMvric,^. 



The authors who have fpoken of thefe trees with fome de- 

 tails are C. Warehal, tranfl:\led by Leferme, Lepage-Du- 

 prat, and Tofcan, librarian of the Mufeimi of Natural Hif- 

 lory. A memoir inferted by the latter in his work intitled 

 U Aju'i de la Nature, makes known the manner in which 

 vegetable wax is coUefted in the colonies. 



" Towards the end of Autumn," fays he, " wlien the 

 berries are ripe, a man quits his home, with his family, to 

 proceed to foaie ifland, or liime bank near the fea, where 

 the wax-trees grow in abundance. He carries with him 

 vefl'els for boiling the berries, and an axe to build a hut to 

 (helter him during his refidence in that place, which is ge- 

 nerally three or ibur weeks. While he is cutting down the 

 trees and conftruftina: the hut, his children colleft the ber- 

 ries : a fruitful (lirub can furnifh about {cxcn pounds. When 

 the berries are colledled, the whole family employ themfelve= 

 i-;i extracting the wax. A certain qirantiiv of the feeds are 

 thrown into the kettles, and water is poured over them in 

 fufficient quantity to rife to the height of half a foot above 

 them. 'I'he whole is then boiled, llirring the feeds from 

 time to time and prefiing them againft the fides of the vef- 

 fcls, that the wax may more eaiily be detached. A little 

 alter, the wax is ft'en fl<iating in the form of fat, which is 

 collected with a fpoon and (trained through a piece of coarfe 

 cloth to feparate the impurities mixed with it. W'hen no 

 more wax detaches ilfelf, the berries are taken out by means 

 fef a Ikimmer, and new ones are put into the water; taking 

 care to renew it the fecond or third time, and even to add 

 more h'/iling water in proportion as it is ( onfumed, that the 

 operation niav not be retarded. W^hen a certain quantity of 

 wax has b.-en c()lle(^tcd in this manner, it is placed on a piece 

 of linen cloth to drain, and to feparate the water with which 

 it ik Hill mixed. It is then dried, and melted a fecond lime 

 li 4 for 



