if I he weal liei 1 be hot many oi the insecls wuiitl escape, ami they must 



When about to put on, the four corners of the little bundles must be 

 cut off, so as to leave holes as large as small beans. They are then tied 



with grass upon the branches of the tree, in greater or le-s numbers, 

 according to the size of the branches. They must he tied on branches 

 about the size of the finger, not upon the smaller twigs nor upon the 

 large branches. For some day- after they have been tied on the birds will 

 come pecking at the bundles to get at the eggs, and they must be care- 

 fully driven away. As the weather becomes wanner th •■ insects begin 

 to emerge from the bundles. At first they run up and down the tree, 

 and if there be weeds at the foot of the tree many will be lost in the 

 undergrowth instead of climbing, therefore the ground must be kept per- 

 fectly clear. Next they travel to the under surface of the leaves and 

 fix themselves there. Some days later they remove to the branches and 

 twigs, burying their beaks in the bark and sucking nourishment from 

 the juices of the tree. Thus do they made the "flowers." When it 

 that all have come out, the bundles are taken down and 

 see if any eggs are left, and if there are they are made into 

 i and put on another tree. 



inning of October the " flowers " must be examined, for if 

 no wax will be obtained, nor will it be if they are not ripe; 

 .vill be impossible to strip them off. When the time comes 

 be snipped as it stands, or the branches may be cut off first- 

 * water must tirst be sprinkled on so thai they may be easily 

 it be rainy or at early dawn while the d.-w still remains still 

 er the wax "flowers" have been collected they are thrown 

 water. The melted wax rises to the surface, and when cool 



when cold, it is drawn up as a solid rake of wax. 



been -lee; !'[ )nl g them in haves is the praeiie 



atWu-chou (now Chin-hua Fu, in the province of Ohe-kiang). In Wu 

 hsing (now Hu-chou Fu, in the same province) the natives wait til 

 the nrddle of May before they cut off the eggs, which they wrap up ii 

 bund I ■ s and hang upon the branches of the old trees to produce a ne\ 

 crop of wax. At Tsui-li (now Chia-hsing Fu) and in my own distric 



to bring them from other trees. It is evident that in the succeediii] 

 generations natural growth is the essential thing, and in my nativ 

 country thev sav that with their own eggs, without regard todays o 

 the month, i: ) their full growth am 



in the beginning of M.i\. 



natives of my country who go to Wu-hsii 

 must cut off the eggs ten days later, so a; 

 end of May. Those who come from the e 



