. . . CHIN. I Tung-ts'ing, . . Cary.
A handsome evergreen tree of China, with ovate pointed leaves, profuse white flowers with panicled cymes, and bearing a black capsular fruit. The Chinese term tung-ts'ing is applied to several plants on which the vegetable wax insect congregates, as • L. Japonicum and L. ob tuSifolium, both of which, with Rhus succedaneum, are also in China called Nu-ching. Another wax insect tree is the Ligustrum ibota of the province of Sze-chuen. But L. lucidum principally har bours the insect. Its fruit and bark are used by the Chinese in the form of tincture, and its leaves are applied to swellings and sores. In the Keenchang district, the Ligustrum lucidum thrives in abundance, and on its twigs in the spring of the year countless flies swarm like a brown film. The branches soon become covered with a white, soapy incrustation, that increases in volume until the commencement of the fall of the year, when the sprays are cut off and immersed in boiling water. The viscid substance rises to the surface, and is skimmed off, melted, and allowed to cool in deep pans. It was discovered
that, by transporting the insects from their native district to Keating Fu, in the north of the pro vince, their capability of discharging wax was largely augmented, which was availed of by the Sze-chuen traders. The period between morning and evening is chosen for conveyance, because many hours of sunlight would precipitate the hatching. This should take place only after the females have been attached to the trees. Arrived at their destination, six or more of the mothers are tied, wrapped in a palm leaf, to a ligustrum. A few days later the young flies are swarming on the twigs, where they fulfil their mission by the month of August. Then they perish in the cal drons, where the results of their brief existence are collected. It is said that this peculiar industry requires the exercise of great care, forethought, and experience.—Voigt; Smith, p. 229.