272 
WAX TREE. 
According to the account which the Abbe Gro- 
sier has given of this wax, and to which we are 
chiefly indebted for what follows, the small insects 
that make the pe-lci do not naturally frequent the 
trees which we have just mentioned, but must 
be placed upon them : this, however, is not a dif- 
ficult operation ; and after a tree has been once 
stocked, it always retains them. Towards the be- 
ginning of winter, small tumours are perceived 
upon the kan-la-chu that have already produced 
wax, which continually increase, till they become of 
the size of a small walnut : these are so many pests 
filled with the eggs of those little insects, which in 
the country are called pe-la~tchong, or la-tchong. 
As soon as the tree begins to shoot forth its blos- 
som, the insects crawl from their eggs ; and this is 
the proper time to deposit nests on those trees that 
have none. The Chinese make small packets or 
bundles of straw, on each of which they put seven 
or eight nests ; they afterwards tie these packets to 
the branches, taking care to place the nests im- 
mediately on the bark. If the shrub is five feet in 
height, it is capable of supporting one or two packets 
on each of its boughs; and the same of its branches in 
proportion to their size and vigour. After these 
insects are hatched, they run upon the branches, 
disperse themselves over the leaves, and perforate 
the bark, under which they retire ; but always 
come forth at the proper season for making the 
wax. 
It is about the middle of June, continues the 
