THE CARNAUBA PALM. 



279 



being estimated at 1,120,000 lbs., it follows that the total quantity 

 of carnauba obtained in 1862 was over 2,560,000 lbs., of the official 

 value of nearly 100,000Z. I may observe that of all the provinces of 

 Brazil where the carnauba palm grows, that of Ceara alone gives any 

 attention to the collection, and even there only the districts of Aracati 

 and Ceara make of it an important industry. I cannot but think the 

 official statistics given above are far below the reality, for the province 

 of Ceara has more than half a million inhabitants, and these employ 

 carnauba wax alone for lighting. There is also a very active com- 

 merce carried on with the adjoining provinces in carnauba candles, 

 transactions which do not come under the control of the customs ; and 

 as the churches are exclusively lighted with them, these facts should 

 be taken into account in the consumption. The commerce in this 

 wax has increased considerably since 1862; in 1863 the official 

 entries of exports through the custom-house of Ceara, and its 

 outport, Aracati, were upwards of 2,000,000 lbs. of this wax. Sup- 

 posing the local consumption to have increased in the same pro- 

 portion, this brings up the production of carnauba wax to over 

 4,000,000 lbs. Taking these figures for basis we may try to discover 

 the number of trees required to furnish that quantity of wax. The 

 harvest of leaves is made during six consecutive months, by cutting 

 twice a month, making thus twelve cuttings in the year. Each tree 

 gives on the average eight leaves at each cutting, which forms an 

 annual yield of ninety-six leaves per tree. From an interesting notice 

 by M. C. F. de Lima, a distinguished agriculturist of Ceara, I learn 

 that five hundred leaves on good land yield 32 lbs. of wax, but it takes 

 twelve hundred leaves on poor land to yield the same quantity. 

 Taking the mean of these two quantities of leaves, we find that it 

 requires eight hundred and fifty leaves to obtain 16 kilogrammes, or 

 32 lbs. of wax. As each tree furnishes on the average ninety-six 

 leaves a year, to ascertain the annual product of each tree, I take 

 the following proportions (calculating in kilogrammes of 2 lbs.) : 

 850 : 16 : : 96 : aj. The result for ninety-six leaves, or for one tree, 

 is 1'807 kilogramme. To ascertain the number of palms necessary 

 for the production of 2,000,000 kilogrammes (or 4,000,000 lbs.) of 

 wax, the yield of 1863, it suffices to establish the following pro- 

 portion : 1 kilo. 807 : 1 : : 2,000,000 : x. We find the result to be 

 1,106,799 trees. This number scarcely represents one-fifth part of 

 the carnauba palms distributed over the various provinces of Brazil. 

 This palm thus produces an annual revenue of about Is. Qd. per 

 tree, which is the more important, as the tree requires no outlay for 

 culture, and suffers nothing from droughts, heavy rains, or fires. The 

 vegetable wax, which covers in a light powder the leaves of the 

 carnauba, is scattered through the atmosphere, borne by the winds, 

 when it is not collected by the hand of man. 



In Ceara, where the collection of the wax is carried on, they have 

 commenced to appreciate its value, and to look to its future importance. 

 A law of the province specially protects the carnauba, by imposing a 

 fine of 2s. 6c?. on anyone who destroys a tree without the permission 

 of the proprietor. In the province of Rio Janeiro they have com- 

 menced planting the carnauba palm, which has succeeded well. This 



