Vol. XVIII. No. 446. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



173 



CAMPHOR CULTIVATION IN THE BRITISH 

 EMPIRE. 



In an" article in the Ayricultural News, December 28, 

 1918, attention was drawn to the decreasing aupply of 

 camphor available in the world's market, owing to the fact 

 that Japan, which pos.sesses practically a monopoly of the 

 production, ha.s been absorbing increasing quintities for 

 employment in its growing celluloid industry. The present 

 state of the cultivition of the camphor tree in Florida was 

 also dealt with in an article ia the issue of the same .Joarnal 

 for March 8, 1919. In the Perfumery and Essential Oil 

 Record, March 24, lb 19, the question of the necessity of 

 investigating the possibility of increasing camphor cultivation 

 within the Briti.sh Empire, owing to the wide employment of 

 the product in modern industries, is dealt within a very 

 interesting article. 



This matter has long received attention, and efforts were 

 made many years aeo to introduce the camphor tree into 

 various parts of the West Indies and other tropical colonies. 

 In the West Indian Bulletin, Vol. IX, p. 275, will be found 

 an account of the examination of wood, twigs, and leaves of 

 camphor trees introduced into Dominica some y' ars ago. 

 It was found on distillation that these produced only 

 oil, and no camphor. Later on, distillation was made of 

 the wood, twigs, and leaves of a very old tree existing 

 in the St. Vincent Botanic Gardens, with the same 

 results. Recently, information hn.s been obtained from 

 the Assistant Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 

 that the camphor trees planted in Mauritius have also only 

 yielded oil. The question then arises v/hether the yieW of 

 camphor is a case ot climate and surroundings, or whether it 

 is duo to a variety in the plant. This question has now been 

 settled, because in late years other lots of seed have been 

 obtained and grown in Jamaica, Trinidad, and other West 

 Indian i.slands, and these have been found to yield camphor; 

 in Jamaica, on the plantation of Major Malcoln; in Trinidad 

 in the Botanical Garden.s, and just lately the younger trees in 

 the Botanic Gardens, Dominica, have been found, on analysi.s, 

 as shown below, to yield camphor inordinary quantity. 



The important question is therefore now settled that 

 there are varieties of the tree, some yielding camphor and 

 oil, and others yielding oil only. The authorities of the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, are investigating the 

 botanical aspect of the question, as it is cleirly of importance 

 that on'y seeds of the valuable varieties should be distributed 

 for experiments in cultivation and production in the various 

 experiment stations or plantations in British po^essions 

 where trials are to be made 



The fact thatilie leaves and twigs, as well as the wood of 

 the camphor tree, yield camphor where the variety expeii- 

 menled with is the right one, has also been definitely settled. 

 In a recert examination at the Government Laboratory of 

 the Leeward Islands of samples of fresh leaves and twigs 

 from trees growing in the Botanic Station, Dominica, one 

 specimen yielded 16 per cent, of camphor and only 2 

 per cent, of oil, while a second specimen yielded 2-32 of 

 camphor and 0-05 per cen'. of oil, and a third yielded no 

 camphor, but 1 'So percent, of oil. The la.st were leaves 

 and twigs from a tree, the seeds of which were imported 

 many years ago, while llie first two came from trees 

 grown from seeds of more recent importation. In Jamaica 

 also, the distillate obtained from both green and dried leaves 

 consisted of over 2 per cent, of crude camphor, and in Florida 

 ih'? distillate is said to yield in some case? 2 77 per cent. 



Apart from the c|uestion of different varieties of the 

 camphor tree, the motit suitable environmental condiiions for 



its cultivation are also of importance so as to ascertain in what 

 localities it may be exploited commercially as a profitable 

 industry. In (his connexion local agricultural officers will 

 be able to give valuable assistance. 



The range of the tree ia partly tropical and partly sub- 

 tropical, from about 10° to 30° N. latitude, and there is 

 no reason why it should not flourish under similar conditions 

 in hSouth latitudes between the same degrees. It is said 

 to flourish best on hillsides and mountain valleys, where 

 there is a moist atmosphere with good drainage. The 

 tree is known to respond well to fertilizers, but apparently 

 it does not flourish on cilcareous soils. Siliceous soils or 

 sandy loams suit it best, but it is probable that it would 

 thrive ecjually well on volcanic soils. 



The trees bear severe pruning with little apparent injury ; 

 one-third of the leaves aud young shoots may be removed at 

 one time without materially checking the growth, s > that 

 although the woody portions, and especially the roots, con- 

 tain most camphor, it will probably be better, under system- 

 atic cultivation, to distil the twigs and the leaves once or 

 twice a year, just as is done in the West Indies with the 

 bay tree, rather than to wait many years for the wood. It 

 is stated that when trees are killed nearly to the ground by 

 frosts, they send up vigorous shoots flora the base. Possibly 

 the same might be the case if the trees were cat down care- 

 fully. This suggests that it might be possible or advan- 

 tageous to pollard the trees from time to time, thus making 

 use of some portion at least of the valuable wood. 



The camphor trees are usually grown from seeds, as 

 the tree frui's abundantly and seeds are more easily 

 grown than cuttings. It might, however, be very advantageous 

 to raise plants from cuttings of the best varieties, so as to 

 ensure the purity of the strain. Seedlings may be grown in 

 plots or in nursery beds, and when the plants are two years 

 old, about 20 to 40 inches in height, they are then finally set 

 out at distances of 10 feet apart, unless it is intended to 

 plant them iu hedges, as is successfully done in the Florida 

 plantations 



Special attention is being drawn to this question of cam- 

 phor production, as it appears to be an industry which miaht 

 very profitably be developed in several is'ands of the West 

 Indie.s, where climatic an' I S'jil conditions are suitable. That 

 the trees grow well and flourish in parts of Jamaica, Trinidad, 

 and at the Botanic Stations in Dominica, St. Lucia, and St. 

 Vincent, is now an established fact, and, as mentioned before, 

 where they are of the right variety, camphor is produced in 

 what promises to be a paying quantity. 



For such islands the extension of camp'ior cultivation, 

 without in any way interferini; with other industries, would 

 seem to offer great advantages. Camphor hedges, as wind- 

 breaks to lime or cacao plantations, would seem to be worth 

 experimenting with, even if extensive areas were not devoted 

 entirely to camphor plantation.",, thsugh this large cultivation 

 appears to be well worth consideration. The appar.Uus 



necessary for distilling leaves and twigs is not very 

 complicated or expensive. The crude camphor, when pro- 

 duced, otters many advantages to planters in islands where 

 communications are ditiicult, and shipments uncertain. One 

 donkey could carry over mountain roads many pounds of 

 camphor worth a cnnsiderable sum of money, and camphor 

 does not spoil by keeping so that the producer has the 

 advantage of being able to store his product for a long time 

 without risk of loss. 



The foregoing considerations lead to the conciusion tiiat 

 the question of the cultivation of the camphor treedeservea 

 serious attention as an industry in these W. st Indian 

 islands. 



