101 



two sides of the way like the rows of willows ox 

 The leaves a r somewhat round, in the autumn it produces small pods, 

 like those of the Ch'un (Ailantus glandulosa) but thinner and smaller, 

 which hang down in the midst of the leaves. The Kuei hsin tsa chih 

 (written by Chou Mi in the 14th century, v. Wylie I.e. p. 158), 

 describing the method of cultivation of wax by tying pots to trees, the 

 leaves of which are like the leaves of the Chu yii {Boymia [Evodia] 

 rutascarpa ?), perhaps refers to this tree. 



IV. Hsiao la shu (Ch. xxxvii. f. 18). 



hills of the province of Hu-nan. It is five or six feet high. The 

 branches, leaves, ami flowers ail resemble those of the Nil chen but are 

 smaller, and it produces small dark coloured fruit in great profusion. 

 In Hu-nan two kinds of trees* are used for the production of wax, the 

 yu la (lit. "lish wa\ "') and the shui la ("water wax "). The Yu la 

 tree is small eu la tree is tall with large 



thick leaves. The latter is the Nil chen, the former the plant here 

 figured. Some call it the water tung ch'ing, the leaves being delicate 

 and soft not very unlike those of the Tung ch'ing, also used for the 

 cultivation of wax, but these are arl based on the 



differences between eul? ; The water tung ch'ing 



referred to in •' >uii'_'- Miscellanies"' a- havir : -.lender leaves and 

 being profits h ! cn i$ this tree'. Li Shih oh'en sav.s 



there is a water wax tree with leaves like those of the elm on which 

 insects can also be raised for the production of wax, which must be a 

 different species. 



In the desci MJg pien) of the same book, as an 



appendix to the account of the Nii chen tree, there is a special article 

 compiled from older authers — On the Production of Wax (Ch. xix. 

 f. 60, 63). 



Wang chi, in the Pen ts'ao hui pi i in 20 books 



" of the reign of Chia-ching (1522-67)), says:—" White insect wax is 

 " different from the white sort of beeswax and is made by small insects. 

 " These insects feed upon the sap of the tunch'ing tree, and after a long 

 " time change into white fat, which adheres to the twigs of the tree, ft 

 " is said by some to be only the excrement of the insects sticking to the 

 " tree, but this is wrong. In autumn this is scraped off and collected, 

 " melted witl 'lien poured into cold water, when it 



« solidifies into a hard ma?s which when broken exhibits markings like 

 " gypsum but is more transparent It is mixed with fat to make candles, 

 " which are much superior to those of beeswax." 



Sung, in his Miscellanies, says :—-" The seeds of the Tung ch'ing can be 

 " plunn^ 1 or used f.u u.-ivouiiri!; wine when the tree is full grown, the 

 " 022s of the insect are hatched upon if in the- fifth month and the wax 

 M collected in thesevi nth month. It must not be entirely taken, but somo 

 " left till the following year, so that In rig eggs • i\ I igain ttiki in 

 " the fourth month for the new crop. Having been dried in the sun, 

 " and a cotton cloth tied over the mouth of an -arthern steamer, the 

 " wax is placed thereupon. A vessel is placed inside t\ir steamer, and 

 " when the water in the pan boils the wax flows down into the vessel. 

 -tance used for the manufacture of 

 a silk bag which is placed in hot 

 attracted, and the wax can be at once made into 





