Chamberss Edinburgh Journal, No. 436 | Page 7

of a long pole, which is held in the hand, and pushed
upwards against the twigs, removing at the same time such as are
fruitless. The capsules are gently pounded in a mortar, to loosen the
seeds from their shells, from which they are separated by sifting. To
facilitate the separation of the white sebaceous matter enveloping the
seeds, they are steamed in tubs, having convex open wicker bottoms,
placed over caldrons of boiling water. When thoroughly heated, they
are reduced to a mash in the mortar, and thence transferred to bamboo
sieves, kept at a uniform temperature over hot ashes. A single operation
does not suffice to deprive them of all their tallow; the steaming and
sifting are therefore repeated. The article thus procured becomes a solid
mass on falling through the sieve; and to purify it, it is melted and
formed into cakes for the press. These receive their form from bamboo
hoops, a foot in diameter, and three inches deep, which are laid on the
ground over a little straw. On being filled with the hot liquid, the ends
of the straw beneath are drawn up and spread over the top; and when of
sufficient consistence, are placed with their rings in the press. This
apparatus, which is of the rudest description, is constructed of two large
beams, placed horizontally so as to form a trough capable of containing
about fifty of the rings with their sebaceous cakes; at one end it is
closed, and at the other adapted for receiving wedges, which are
successively driven into it by ponderous sledge-hammers, wielded by
athletic men. The tallow oozes in a melted state into a receptacle below,
where it cools. It is again melted, and poured into tubs, smeared with
mud, to prevent its adhering. It is now marketable, in masses of about
eighty pounds each--hard, brittle, white, opaque, tasteless, and without
the odour of animal tallow; under high pressure, it scarcely stains
bibulous paper, and it melts at 104 degrees Fahrenheit. It may be
regarded as nearly pure stearine.... The seeds yield about 8 per cent. of
tallow, which sells for about five cents per pound.'
There is a separate process for pressing the oil, which is carried on at
the same time. The kernels yield about 30 per cent. of oil, which
answers well for lamps. It is also employed for various purposes in the
arts, and has a place in the Chinese pharmacopoeia, because of its

quality of changing gray hair to black, and other imaginary virtues.
The husks are used to feed the furnaces; the residuary tallow-cakes are
also employed for fuel--a small quantity remaining ignited a whole day.
The oil-cake forms a valuable manure, and is of course carefully used
for this purpose in China, where so very great regard is paid to the
collecting of manures. This kind is particularly used for enriching
tobacco-fields, its powerful qualities recommending it for such a
scourging crop.
With regard to the uses of the vegetable tallow, Dr Macgowan observes:
'Artificial illumination in China is generally procured by vegetable oils,
but candles are also employed.... In religious ceremonies, no other
material is used. As no one ventures out after dark without a lantern,
and as the gods cannot be acceptably worshipped without candles, the
quantity consumed is very great. With an unimportant exception, the
candles are always made of what I beg to designate as vegetable
stearine. When the candles, which are made by dipping, are of the
required diameter, they receive a final dip into a mixture of the same
material and insect-wax, by which their consistency is preserved in the
hottest weather. They are generally coloured red, which is done by
throwing a minute quantity of alkanet-root (Anchusa tinctoria), brought
from Shan-tung, into the mixture. Verdigris is sometimes employed to
dye them green.' We are not aware that the vegetable tallow has as yet
been imported into Britain to any extent.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] 'Uses of the Stillingia Sebifera, or Tallow-Tree, &c., by D. J.
Macgowan, M. D., &c.' The substance of the same communication was
laid before the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, 12th February, 1852,
having been communicated by Dr Coldstream.

THE TOLLMAN'S STORY.
Some local travellers of about twenty-five years' practice, may still

remember the keeper of a toll-bar on one of the western approaches to
Glasgow, known in his neighbourhood as English John. The prefix was
given, I believe, in honour of his dialect, which was remarkably pure
and polished for one of his station in those days; and the solution of
that problem was, that he had been from childhood, till the gray was
thickening on his hair, in the service of an English family, who had
come into possession, and constantly resided on, a handsome estate in
his native parish in