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Tallow-Tree and Insecl-wax of China. 21 



the young trees, they are cut down, just below the 

 lower branches, about four feet from the ground, and well ma- 

 nured. The branches which sprout the following season are 

 trimmed, and made to grow in nearly a perpendicular direction. 

 The process of cutting the trunk within a short distance of the 

 ground is repeated e\^ery four or five years, and as a general rule, 

 they are not stocked until the second year after this operation. 

 Sometimes the husbandman finds a tree which the insects them- 

 selves have attained, but the usual practice is to stock them with 

 the nests of the insect, which is effected in spring. These nesrs 

 are about the size of a '^fowl's head," and are removed by cut- 

 ting ofl'a portion of the branch to which they are attached, leav- 

 ing an inch each side of the nest. The sticks, with the adhering 

 ( nests, are soaked in unhusked rice-water for a quarter of an hour, 



when they may be separated. When the weather is damp or 

 cool, they may be preserved in jars for a week ; but if warm, they 

 are to be tied to the branches of the trees, to be stocked without 

 delay, being first folded between leaves. By some, the nests are 

 probed out of their seat in the bark of the tree without removing 

 the branches. At this period they are particularly exposed to the 

 attacks of birds, and require watching. In a few days after be- 

 ing tied to the tree, the nests swell, and innumerable white in- 

 sects, the size of -^mVs," emerge, and spread themselves ox\ the 

 branches of the tree ; but soon with ou^ accord they descend 

 towards the ground, where, if Ihey find any grass, ihey take up 

 their quarters. To prevent this, the ground beneath is kept quite 

 bare, care being taken also that their implacable enemies, the ants, 

 have no access to the tree. 



Finding no congenial resting place below, they reascend and 

 fix themselves to the lower surface of the leaves, where they re- 

 main several days, whence they repair to the branches, perfora- 

 ting the bark (o feed on the fluid within. From nits they attain 

 the size and appearance of ^^ pediciilus hominisy Having com- 

 pared it to this, the most familiar to them of all insects, our authors 

 deem further description superfluous. Early in June ihey give 

 to the trees the appearance of being covered with hoar frost, be- 

 ing changed into wax, soon after this they are scraped ofl", being 

 previously sprinkled with water. If the gathering be deferred 

 till August they adhere too firmly to be easily removed. Those 

 which are suffered tJ remain to stock trees the enstung season ^ 

 secrete a purplish envelop about the month o( August, which ni 

 first is no larger than a grain of rice; but as incubation proceeds, 

 it expands, and becomes as large as a fowl's head, which is in 

 spring when the nests are transferred to other trees, one or more 

 to each, according to their size and vigor, in the manner already 

 described. 



On being scraped from the trees, the crude material is freed from 

 its impurities, probably the integuments of the insect, by spreading 



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