253 MR. SADAMA ISHIMATSU ON A CHEMICAL 



obtained from branches; and the juice obtained in this 

 way becomes very hard on drying, being mostly used for 

 primingj and is known as " sheshne-urushi." 



The quality of urushi depends upon the season in which 

 it is tapped and also on the condition of climate and nature 

 of soil, as well as the care taken for its cultivation — the 

 juice that is tapped just at the beginning of the season and 

 towards the last being of much inferior quality ; that just 

 obtained at the middle is considered the best. The raw 

 product is a slightly sticky liquid having a dirty grey 

 colour, and always covered with a black crust where it 

 comes in contact with the atmosphere. 



This juice is then put into a large tub, where it is 

 allowed to stand for some time; then^ in time, finer and 

 better quality and inferior and worse ones separate out 

 into two layers. It is then separated by means of decan- 

 tation. The superior quality is stirred in the open air in 

 sunlight, as you may see in some parts of the city of Tokio, 

 for the purpose of allowing a certain excess of water to 

 evaporate, after which it assumes a brilliant dark brown 

 or nearly black colour ; but in thin layers it is almost 

 transparent. The further operations which the juice under- 

 goes before it is ready for use are as follows : — It is first 

 of all filtered through a strong porous paper called •' yo- 

 sMno gami" and then mixed with the kind of colouring- 

 matter with which it is desired to tint the juice. 



It is a great pity that white cannot be laquored with the 

 juice ; but it is said that in the province of Noto, at a place 

 called " Washima,'^ white is laquored ; but the process is 

 kept unknown, and is rather doubtful. 



Various trees produce more or less the same kind of sap. 

 There is one kind of tree called haze or hagi, belonging 

 also to the Rhus family, which has almost exactly the same 

 appearance as laquor-tree; and one cannot distinguish the 



