136 



Containing nitrogen 

 Equal to ammonia 

 Lower oxide of iron 



" The ash of the camphor leaves was analyzed to determine the 

 constituents most required by their growth. The leaves con- 

 tained — 



Per cent. 



Water ... ... ... T4.32 



Organic matter* ... ... 19-58 



Ash ... ... ... 610 



inooo 



*Contaiiiinf» nitrogen \^^^ per cent. 

 Ei)U!il to ammonia 1 78 " 



Comjwsitiim of Ash 



Per cent. 



Lime ... ... ... 32-90 



Magnesia ... ... ... 6-48 



Oxide of iron ... ... 2-00 



Alumina - ... ... 3 11 



Potash ... ... ... 14-86 



Soda ... ... ... 4-21 



Phosphoric acid ... ... 2-16 



Sulpliuric acid ... ... 2^00 



Sand and silica ... ... 1-20 



Carbonic acid ... ... 26 "10 



Carbon and undetermined ... ... 4-98 



100 00 



"The chief mineral ingredients required by the camphor plant 

 for the growth of leaves are lime and potash, an average yield of 

 prunings removing 196 lb. of lime and 87 lb. of potash, which 

 could be returned to the soil after the distilled wood had been 

 burned for fuel purposes. 



'■ M. KELWAY BAMBER, F.C.S., &c." 



PREPARATION OF THE CAMPHOR. 



As soon as the plants have reached a fair size and formed stout 

 woody stems below — say in three years or less in very good 

 situations — they may be clipped. The simplest method will per- 

 haps be to use hedge shears, placing a long basket below the 

 hedge to catch the clippings. Only the leaves and young twigs 

 are required ; woody twigs yield little or no camphor. 



In Japan, where however, they only use the wood of full-grown 

 trees as a source of camphor, the chips of wood are distilled in a 

 primitive-looking but effective still, with bamboo tubes (these have 

 the advantage that they can afterwards be split to remove any 

 camphor from them) and a wooden condenser with water running 

 over its lid. In Ceylon probably the best method will be to fix up 



