AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES. 163 



The vegetable tallow that flows from the press into the recep- 

 tacle soon congeals there into a solid mass. To rid this of im- 

 purities it is melted in iron kettles, and the clear wax skimmed off 

 into small earthen saucers, from which it can easily be lifted out 

 when cool.^ It is always in this shape that it appears in com- 

 merce. It is used in many ways, but especially and extensively 

 for making candles or R6-soku. The R6 of Rhus stcccedanea, 

 from the southern ports, is almost all that is exported — partly in 

 its ordinary condition, partly bleached. 



The bleaching process, which I saw in operation in Uchinoko, 

 in Southern lyo, was as follows : The raw wax was melted, and 

 allowed to drop through woollen bags into cold water, so as to 

 sub-divide it. Then it was exposed to the sun in little boxes, 

 2 J feet long by i foot wide, on frames. The pieces of tallow need 

 to be sprinkled with water and turned frequently, as in bleach, 

 ing linen on a lawn. In one of the bleacheries I saw altogether 

 14 rows of these flat bleaching boxes, on trestles 3 feet above 

 the ground, and in every row 82 pieces. In about 30 days the 

 R6 is white, like bleached beeswax, and almost odourless.. 

 Common sumach-tallow bleaches, however, even in closed places, 

 e.g.^ a bureau drawer, turning white gradually on the surface. 

 But the white rime with which it becomes covered is not very 

 deep. 



There is no difference, either external or in composition, between 

 the fat of the lacquer-tree and that of the tallow-tree. Both pre- 

 sent solid, brittle masses when cold, with a muscular fibre or grain ; 

 both give off a peculiar odour (like wax and grain-soap mixed) ; 

 both are of a clear yellow-green colour when unbleached. They 

 are harder than wax, but much softer than Carnauba-wax. The 

 specific gravity is 0*9 16; that of bleached tallow ranging from 

 0-97 to 1-14.2 Melting-point is S2°C., but if the stuff is melted 

 again when scarcely yet set, it is 42°C. In 700 parts of alcohol of 

 97 per cent, and at 30^0. it becomes entirely dissolved. 



Chemical investigations have shown that this sumach tallow 

 consists of a mixture of several glycerides, that of palmitic acid 

 predominating. The Japanese use it not only for candles, but in 

 many other ways besides, instead of beeswax — for instance, to 

 produce polish in cabinet-work. With us it is added to beeswax, 

 so as to impart more solidity to the candles, and cause them to 

 come more easily from the mould. It is used instead of beeswax 

 for a similar purpose in some rubber factories. 



The exportation of vegetable tallow from Japan began when the 

 country was opened. Its value has been subject to many fluctu- 



* These cakes of tallow look like lumps of North American maple sugar. 

 They are of different sizes (8 to 16 cm. in diameter, 3 to 6 cm. thick) and weigh 

 from ^ kg. to i kg. 



^ Among several pieces in my possession there is one of 075 kg. from Aidzu, 

 which sinks immediately in spring-water, at I5°C. 



