IN THE HEART OF CHINA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 295, 7 September 1908, Page 4

IN THE HEART OF CHINA.

A SUBSTITUTE FOR KAURI CUM. VIRTUES OF THE TUNG SHU TREE. There is nothing finer in tho world for varnish-making than New Zealand kauri gum, says Mr. G. W. S. Patterson, of the Now York firm of Patterson and Co. There is only ono troublo about it, tho quantity is getting less and tho end is in sight. There is soniothing pathetic in this to New Zealand. It foretells tho death of an industry —ono that will only precedo tho end of tho kauri industry itself by a few years if picscnt conditions continue. The limited lifo of tho kauri gum market was foreseen years ago, and Mr. Patterson, in tho interests of his firm, was forced to take a look round the world to find a. substitute. One, not so good as tho gum, has been found in the heart of China, and it is to the " way-back " of the Flowery Land that Mr. Patterson has made a trip every year for the last four years so that his knowledge of the affairs of that country is as interesting as it is comprehensive.

" The Chioago of Central China." Mr. Patterson informed our representative that his firm had-established its headquarters at Hangkow, " tho Chicago of Ce'itral China," a city about GOO miles from the mouth of tho Yang-tse-kiang River, the great waterway of tho kingdom. But liangkow does not produce the envied product. iho Tung Shu tree, which produces the nut irom which the precious oil is " expressed, grows over an area of country 750,000 square miles in extent, but the nearest belt is 1100 miles from Hangkow up the river. China is a country of magnificent distances. To reach the wooded belt a steamer between 3000 and 4000 tons register takes passengers and cargo up the first 1000 miles, and then, lr ono desires to procced further, there are myriads of Chinese junks, which will sail or polo up another 500 -miles—roughly the distance Between Wellington and Auckland. Then appear the beautiful groves of lung Shu, with its clean, graceful stem or trunk standing straight for fifteen feet or so, and its branches spread out in umbrella fashion, forming welcome shade from the summer sun.> , • . . .

An Interesting Process. "The tree, which grows to a height of 25ft., begins to bear," says Mr. Pafct-crson, "three and a 5 half years after it has been planted, and in 1 seven years is in full bearing. It produces a nut. about the size and appearance of a Japanese walnut, which is divided into five segments of whito meaty substanco, not unlike the Brazilian nut. Each treo produces about 30 pounds of nuts, from which about 10 pounds of oil is 'expressed' by the natives in their primitive way—tho same way as they did it in tho timo of Confucius. Tho nuts aro gathered in July and August, are piled in heaps, shelled, and pounded into pulp by old stone mills. After that tho stuff is placed between heavy; flat stones, and pressure is applied by wedging until tho oil is 'expressed.' Of course, not nearly all tho 011 in 'tho nut can bo obtained by such a sirnplo and crude process, but what can you do? Tho Government won't allow us to take in machinery, and will not sllow the nuts to bo exported in bulk, so wo hire to grin and buy it.' It is wonderful wood-oil, thpugh, and is used fw lots of other purposes than var-nish-making. All tho refining _it gets or needs is to strain it throkgli a kind of tablecloth, ;and there you havo tho pure,, crudo oil. \

Paper, Clothes. "This is used largely by tho Chineso in a variety of ways. Tho natives wear paper clothes, a groat deal in tho district, but. tho paper ,is always oiled with this wood-oil, which it something like oitr thin mackintosh "and quite rainproof: • Similarly tho umbrella of China-is made water-tight by tho same process, so the industry does not lean on tho demand from the oiits'ido world.'' Commercial Methods in China. .

How do, you trado, with tho natives for the oil? . _ - "Now, that's interesting—there's no direct trading with the- producer in China. Thoro is always tho middleman or broker, or what they call there tho compradoro. What would be the good of my -making any sort of contract with any casual .Chinaman that I would liover know again? It would ■never do. But with tho compradore it is all right. Ho is a man of standing, of excellent repute with all classes —and ho is guaranteed by my bank. ~'Yoii, morely pay him a small'retaining fee,-the rest ho will maio for himself out of tho less fortunate producer. ' It is tho compradoro who sonds nis agents, out into'tho. country to buy up the oil from each family or, little party working a mill. It is delivered at the appointed place in'willow.baskots,. ,lined , with, oiled brown paper (there being no wood fit to make casks in the country). It is shipped into junks, -and off it goes down tho river to Hangkow, where we do-our own caskmaking from laths imported from Now York. Tho willow ■is ■ everywhere ,in. China, and these' baskets they mako aro really, tho handiest things imaginable, as they have to bo carried Chinese-fashion for considerable distances, and liavo to stand a good deal of knocking about. Each holds a ' picul' (which is 133 l-31b.). AVe use u pabout 1000 tons of this oil a year, /and find that the varnish it makes is just as good for interior work as that mado from kauri gum, but for outside work there is nothing approaches tho gum. It is so free from acids owing to its great age that it does not crack as do other varnishes when exposed to tho weather."