Fw: [NatureNS] Bayberry

From: David & Alison Webster <dwebster@glinx.com>
To: NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2015 15:09:34 -0400
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Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
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Back Again,
    After sending this I checked Fernald (Grays Manual 8th ed) and =
Candleberry is one common name used for both M. pensilvanica and M. =
cerifera.=20
    One additional factor, which is along the lines you were raising =
Steve, is the huge span of variation which is included within species. =
For example, M. pensilvanica is usually less than 1 M tall but it can be =
up to 4.5 M tall with trunk up to 12 cm in diameter. So our strains may =
have less wax than strains commonly encountered in New England.=20
Yt, DW=20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: David & Alison Webster=20
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2015 2:14 PM
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Bayberry


Hi Steve & All,
    There is no possibility for confusion (internet sources excepted =
where species absent here may be discussed). We have only one species of =
Myrica with waxy berries, pensilvanica. M. gale fruit are small, dry, in =
a cone-like cluster and are not waxy. M. pensilvanica leaves can be =
dried for seasoning soup or just hung in a mesh bag to scent a room. M. =
gale leaves, picked half grown and dried can be used to make a tea =
substitute.
    Poison Ivy (Rhus radicans and several newer names) berries are =
slightly waxy so learn to recognize the fruit while leaves are present.
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
----- Original Message -----=20
From: "Stephen Shaw" <srshaw@Dal.Ca>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2015 12:53 PM
Subject: RE: [NatureNS] Bayberry


> Me too: on-line sources quote up to 1lb of wax from only 4lb of =
berries, which is an amazingly high yield from my very limited =
experience, and sounds like others' too.
> Is part of the problem that there is more than one species of =
'bayberry'?  Myrica cerifa (American bayberry, wax myrtle, more =
southern), M. pensylvanica (Northern bayberry), M. gale (sweet gale, bog =
myrtle, holarctic) all seem as if they might fit the description often =
used, "E. Atlantic coast". =20
> Perhaps one of these (cerifa?) produces lots of wax, but the others =
don't?  That might explain the varied experience in collecting wax.
>=20
> Does anyone know which species is most commonly used for candles =
(cerifa?)?
> Does anyone know which species we have locally here, or is there more =
than one species?
>=20
> It may be essential to get these identifications straight to avoid =
further disappointment, before embarking on more candle-making.
> Steve (Hfx)
>=20
> ________________________________________
> From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] on =
behalf of Margaret Fraser [m_fraser65@yahoo.ca]
> Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2015 12:22 PM
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Bayberry
>=20
> I did a little online research last night and the most sensible =
suggestion I saw was to let the water cool and then pick the wax off the =
top,then remelt it and strain through a layer of cheesecloth. The wax,as =
I recall,is very strongly scented and do a little will scent a fair bit =
of beeswax (but I can't give you proportions). I don't think we strained =
the wax,but I remember the pillar candle we made was a funny colour and =
kind of gritty. And it had a layer on the bottom that was unburnable. I =
also remember my mother was very happy when we were done and stopped =
messing up her kitchen =
[http://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/1.gif] . This has =
reignited my interest in candle making. Now I have to find bayberries in =
Cape Breton-should not be hard as they were everywhere when I was a =
child. Cheers,
> Margaret
>=20
> From:"David & Alison Webster" <dwebster@glinx.com>
> Date:Sat, Jan 31, 2015 at 11:39 am
> Subject:Re: [NatureNS] Bayberry
>=20
> Hi Nick & All,                                    Jan 31, 2015
>    I also, about 1959, did the obvious; simered about 5L of berries in =
8L of water+berries and got a yield of nice odor and almost no wax.
>    Because partitioning the agreeable odor is the objective I would =
try a different approach entirely it I were to attempt this again.
>    The melting point of Bayberry wax is fairly low; 42-48oC (Place & =
Stiles, Auk paper) So a logical first step would be to feed berries =
slowly into a rotating inclined screen cylinder in an enclosure that was =
heated to about 65oC and wick wax from the zone of melting with a fixed =
wiper blade. Wax isolated in this way might be clean enough for some =
purposes. If too dirty then the isolated wax could be distilled into =
melted paraffin wax.
>    Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Nicholas Hill
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
> Sent: Friday, January 30, 2015 7:55 PM
> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Bayberry
>=20
>=20
> that's super, Margaret. We tried a few years ago, got discouraged =
because we didnt really trust the process. Will try again. Any tips?
> I have often seen bayberry in mink scats in the fall.
>=20
> On Jan 30, 2015 7:19 PM, "Margaret Fraser" <m_fraser65@yahoo.ca> =
wrote:
>=20
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com<http://www.avg.com>
> Version: 2015.0.5645 / Virus Database: 4273/9027 - Release Date: =
01/30/15
>=20
>=20
>=20
>=20
> -----
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 2015.0.5645 / Virus Database: 4273/9031 - Release Date: =
01/31/15
>
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2015.0.5645 / Virus Database: 4273/9031 - Release Date: =
01/31/15

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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.23588">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV>Back Again,</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; After sending this I checked Fernald (Grays =
Manual 8th=20
ed) and Candleberry is one common name used for both <EM>M. =
pensilvanica</EM>=20
and <EM>M. cerifera</EM>. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; One additional factor, which is along the lines =
you were=20
raising Steve, is the huge span of variation which is included within =
species.=20
For example, <EM>M. pensilvanica</EM>&nbsp;is usually less than 1 M tall =
but it=20
can be up to 4.5 M tall with trunk up to 12 cm in diameter. So our =
strains=20
may&nbsp;have less wax than strains commonly encountered in&nbsp;New =
England.=20
</DIV>
<DIV>Yt, DW&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">
<DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A=20
title=3Ddwebster@glinx.com href=3D"mailto:dwebster@glinx.com">David =
&amp; Alison=20
Webster</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, January 31, 2015 2:14 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NatureNS] Bayberry</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Hi Steve &amp; All,</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There is no possibility for confusion (internet =
sources=20
excepted where species absent here may be discussed). We have only one =
species=20
of<EM> Myrica </EM>with waxy berries, <EM>pensilvanica.</EM> <EM>M. gale =

</EM>fruit are small, dry, in a cone-like cluster and are not waxy. =
<EM>M.</EM>=20
<EM>pensilvanica leaves </EM>can be dried for seasoning soup or just =
hung in a=20
mesh bag to scent a room. <EM>M. gale </EM>leaves, picked half grown and =
dried=20
can be used to make a tea substitute.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Poison Ivy (<EM>Rhus radicans </EM>and several =
newer=20
names)&nbsp;berries are slightly waxy so learn to recognize the fruit =
while=20
leaves are present.</DIV>
<DIV>Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville</DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message -----=20
<DIV>From: "Stephen Shaw" &lt;<A=20
href=3D"mailto:srshaw@Dal.Ca">srshaw@Dal.Ca</A>&gt;</DIV>
<DIV>To: &lt;<A=20
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A>&gt;</=
DIV>
<DIV>Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2015 12:53 PM</DIV>
<DIV>Subject: RE: [NatureNS] Bayberry</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>&gt; Me too: on-line sources quote up to 1lb of wax from =
only 4lb=20
of berries, which is an amazingly high yield from my very limited =
experience,=20
and sounds like others' too.<BR>&gt; Is part of the problem that there =
is more=20
than one species of 'bayberry'?&nbsp; Myrica cerifa (American bayberry, =
wax=20
myrtle, more southern), M. pensylvanica (Northern bayberry), M. gale =
(sweet=20
gale, bog myrtle, holarctic) all seem as if they might fit the =
description often=20
used, "E. Atlantic coast".&nbsp; <BR>&gt; Perhaps one of these (cerifa?) =

produces lots of wax, but the others don't?&nbsp; That might explain the =
varied=20
experience in collecting wax.<BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; Does anyone know which =
species is=20
most commonly used for candles (cerifa?)?<BR>&gt; Does anyone know which =
species=20
we have locally here, or is there more than one species?<BR>&gt; =
<BR>&gt; It may=20
be essential to get these identifications straight to avoid further=20
disappointment, before embarking on more candle-making.<BR>&gt; Steve=20
(Hfx)<BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; ________________________________________<BR>&gt; =
From: <A=20
href=3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.=
ca</A>=20
[naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] on behalf of Margaret Fraser=20
[m_fraser65@yahoo.ca]<BR>&gt; Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2015 12:22 =
PM<BR>&gt;=20
To: <A =
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A><BR>&g=
t;=20
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Bayberry<BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; I did a little online =
research=20
last night and the most sensible suggestion I saw was to let the water =
cool and=20
then pick the wax off the top,then remelt it and strain through a layer =
of=20
cheesecloth. The wax,as I recall,is very strongly scented and do a =
little will=20
scent a fair bit of beeswax (but I can't give you proportions). I don't =
think we=20
strained the wax,but I remember the pillar candle we made was a funny =
colour and=20
kind of gritty. And it had a layer on the bottom that was unburnable. I =
also=20
remember my mother was very happy when we were done and stopped messing =
up her=20
kitchen [http://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/1.gif] . This =
has=20
reignited my interest in candle making. Now I have to find bayberries in =
Cape=20
Breton-should not be hard as they were everywhere when I was a child.=20
Cheers,<BR>&gt; Margaret<BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; From:"David &amp; Alison =
Webster"=20
&lt;<A =
href=3D"mailto:dwebster@glinx.com">dwebster@glinx.com</A>&gt;<BR>&gt;=20
Date:Sat, Jan 31, 2015 at 11:39 am<BR>&gt; Subject:Re: [NatureNS]=20
Bayberry<BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; Hi Nick &amp;=20
All,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nb=
sp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
Jan 31, 2015<BR>&gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I also, about 1959, did the =
obvious;=20
simered about 5L of berries in 8L of water+berries and got a yield of =
nice odor=20
and almost no wax.<BR>&gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Because partitioning the =
agreeable=20
odor is the objective I would try a different approach entirely it I =
were to=20
attempt this again.<BR>&gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The melting point of =
Bayberry wax=20
is fairly low; 42-48oC (Place &amp; Stiles, Auk paper) So a logical =
first step=20
would be to feed berries slowly into a rotating inclined screen cylinder =
in an=20
enclosure that was heated to about 65oC and wick wax from the zone of =
melting=20
with a fixed wiper blade. Wax isolated in this way might be clean enough =
for=20
some purposes. If too dirty then the isolated wax could be distilled =
into melted=20
paraffin wax.<BR>&gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Yt, Dave Webster, =
Kentville<BR>&gt;=20
----- Original Message -----<BR>&gt; From: Nicholas Hill<BR>&gt; To: <A=20
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A><BR>&g=
t; Sent:=20
Friday, January 30, 2015 7:55 PM<BR>&gt; Subject: Re: [NatureNS]=20
Bayberry<BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; that's super, Margaret. We tried a =
few years=20
ago, got discouraged because we didnt really trust the process. Will try =
again.=20
Any tips?<BR>&gt; I have often seen bayberry in mink scats in the =
fall.<BR>&gt;=20
<BR>&gt; On Jan 30, 2015 7:19 PM, "Margaret Fraser" &lt;<A=20
href=3D"mailto:m_fraser65@yahoo.ca">m_fraser65@yahoo.ca</A>&gt; =
wrote:<BR>&gt;=20
<BR>&gt; No virus found in this message.<BR>&gt; Checked by AVG - <A=20
href=3D"http://www.avg.com<http://www.avg.com">www.avg.com&lt;http://www.=
avg.com</A>&gt;<BR>&gt;=20
Version: 2015.0.5645 / Virus Database: 4273/9027 - Release Date:=20
01/30/15<BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; -----<BR>&gt; No =
virus=20
found in this message.<BR>&gt; Checked by AVG - <A=20
href=3D"http://www.avg.com">www.avg.com</A><BR>&gt; Version: 2015.0.5645 =
/ Virus=20
Database: 4273/9031 - Release Date: 01/31/15<BR>&gt;<A></A>
<P align=3Dleft color=3D"#000000" avgcert??>No virus found in this=20
message.<BR>Checked by AVG - <A=20
href=3D"http://www.avg.com">www.avg.com</A><BR>Version: 2015.0.5645 / =
Virus=20
Database: 4273/9031 - Release Date: 01/31/15</P></BODY></HTML>

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