Culture of the Early Potatoe in Lancashire. 405 



berries, 4 lbs. of which yield 1 lb. of wax. This, when melted, 

 is of a greenish yellow colour, and of a firmer consistence than 

 bees-wax. Candles made of it give a white flame and good 

 light without smoke, and do not gutter like tallow candles. 

 When quite fresh they afford a balsamic odour, which the 

 inhabitants of Louisiana esteem highly salubrious. 



The following is the simple process by which the wax is 

 separated from the berries. Having collected a sufficient 

 quantity, they are thrown into a kettle and covered with 

 water to the depth of about six inches ; the whole is then 

 boiled, stirring the grains about, and rubbing the berries 

 against the sides of the vessel to facilitate the separation of 

 the wax, which rises to the surface of the water like fat, and 

 is skimmed off with a spoon, after which it is strained through 

 a coarse cloth to free it from impurities. When no more 

 wax rises, the berries are removed with a skimmer, and a 

 fresh supply put into the same water, taking care to add 

 boiling water to supply the place of that evaporated during 

 the process, and changing the water entirely after the second 

 time. When a considerable quantity of wax has been thus 

 obtained, it is laid upon a cloth to drain off the water still 

 adhering to it ; after which it is dried and melted a second 

 time to purify it, and is then formed into cakes for use. 



Such is the process for obtaining this vegetable wax, 

 which, besides its value as an article for the manufacture of 

 candles, and serving even better than tallow for making the 

 finest soap, is, from a degree of astringency which it pos- 

 sesses, better suited perhaps than common wax for the com- 

 position of some plasters, in which this quality is desirable. 



Should these hasty remarks prove the means of directing 

 any of your numerous readers to the cultivation of this 

 valuable shrub in some of the waste and hitherto unproduc- 

 tive lands of this country, it will afford much satisfaction to, 



Sir, &c. 

 Fareham Place, near Plymouth^ William Hamilton. 



May 15. 1826. - 



Art. XVIII. On the Culture of the Early Potatoe as prac- 

 tised in Lancashire, and on the Mode of cooking the Potatoe 

 there. By R. W. 

 In the western parts of Lancashire, two very early potatoes 



are cultivated, the small round (I am unacquainted with its 



