Exc[oe]caria Sebifera

This Euphorbiaceous plant is the tallow

tree of China. The fruits, are about half an inch in diameter, and

each contains three seeds, thickly coated with a fatty substance

which yields the tallow. This is obtained by first steaming the

seeds, then bruising them to loosen the fat without breaking the

seeds, which are removed by sifting. The fat is then made into

flat circular cakes and pressed, when the pure tallow exudes in a

liquid state and soon hardens into a white, brittle mass. Candles

made from this get soft in hot weather, which is prevented by

coating them with insect wax. A liquid oil is obtained from the

seeds by pressing. The tree yields a hard wood, used by the

Chinese for printing blocks, and its leaves are used in dyeing

black.