THE ALUMNI JOURNAL 19 



CAMPHOR IN CEYLON. 



RAPID EXTENSION OF THE INDUSTRY AT VERY LOW COST. 



Vice-Consul W. H. Doyle, writing from Colombo, says that an early 

 and appreciable contribution to the world's supply of camphor is prom- 

 ised as the result of recent and current planting operations in Ceylon. 

 In 1907 the camphor acreage of the island was increased from 142 to 

 1,106, and the indications are that the new acreage of 1908 will be 

 even greater. The vice-consul continues : 



Camphor planting has been stimulated by the high price of the 

 drug, and by the successful results of experimental planting. While 

 camphor will not grow at sea level in Ceylon, it finds congenial con- 

 ditions in the mountainous parts of the island, and thrives finely at 

 elevations of from 2,500 to 8,000 feet. The situation is so favorable to 

 its profitable production that enthusiastic planters entertain the belief 

 that Ceylon in a few years will produce camphor in quantity greater 

 than the world's present demand. It is estimated that the planting of 

 between 15,000 and 20,000 acres in Ceylon would develop a production 

 of 8,000,000 pounds, which, according to most authorities, is the 

 quantity of camphor demanded annually at present. 



The rapid growth of the twigs and the cheapness of land and labor 

 are the factors depended upon by planters to give Ceylon an advan- 

 tage over other camphor-producing countries. The figures given by 

 planters to represent the cost of a jwund of Ceylon camphor are much 

 below the figures representing the reputed cost of synthetic camphor 

 produced in the United States from turpentine oil. 



PRICE STIMULATES PLANTING— CULTURAL OPERATIONS. 



The growing of the camphor tree in Ceylon was first undertaken, in 

 a purely scientific way, at the government experimental gardens at 

 Hakgala. The experiments were eminently successful. Little atten- 

 tion was paid to the outcome of these experiments at first, as the price 

 of camphor then ranged as low as $40 to $45 per hundredweight. But 

 when the smokeless-powder requirements of the Russo-Japanese war 

 more than doubled the price, a commercial interest in the tree was 

 created. Last year it was demonstrated beyond a doubt that camphor 

 cultivation in Ceylon could be made highly profitable. Immediately 

 the importation of seed from Japan was begun, and it has continued 

 to the present day. Seed and root cuttings from the Government 

 gardens also are being used in considerable quantities. 



