141 



tains a certain amount of camphor in solution, wliich can be sepa- 

 rated to some extent by cooling to 10° C. It would therefore be 

 advisable to cool the mixture of camphor and oil, as much as pos- 

 sible, before submitting it to centrifugal expression. 



The root oil, of which I '22 per cent, was obtained from the air- 

 dried roots, was almost colourless, and had no smell of camphor. 

 It consisted of a mixture of two oils, one lighter and one heavier 

 than water, the specific gravity of the mixed oils being ro58 at 

 80° F. 



YIELD AND PROSPECTS. 



The figures above given show that the yield varies a good deal, 

 but that on the average about '75 to I per cent, of camphor may 

 be expected from the young leaves and twigs, as well as a small 

 quantity of camphor oil, which also has a market value. Samples 

 of camphor mixed with the oil were valued lately at Rs. 126 per 

 cwt. If we assume that clippings will yield about I per cent, of 

 camphor and oil worth Re. I per lb., we should be well within the 

 mark. The cost of obtaining this should be about Rs. 53 per acre, 



made up as follows: — 



Rs. 0. 



Pruning 1,210 trees and carrying t factory 57 



Distilling, fuel, packing, &c. ... 16 



53 U 



/. c, camphor can be put on the market as cheaply as tea per 

 pound if the yield be at the rate of 177 lb. per acre (cost of tea 

 being estimated at 30 cents.) Now 177 lb. will be yielded by 

 17,700 lb. of clippings. In the case of bushes 6 feet apart this 

 means 14^ lbs per bush per annum, or about seven times the 

 weight of flush obtained from a prosperous tea bush. On the 

 other hand, the bushes are only half as many to the acre, and the 

 plucking is much coarser, so that this estimate is not unreason- 

 able, and the product is more valuable than tea. It seems not 

 unreasonable to expect that where a bush, with 36 square feet of 

 space to grow in, yields 12 to 15 lb., of clippings a year, the cul- 

 tivation will prove remunerative — not a bonanza, but yielding a 

 fair profit. In Hakgala Gardens this yield is exceeded, so far as 

 rough experiments show. 



PARIS GREEN : APPLICATION TO COTTON. 



Mr. Win. B. Scahrook to Director, Public Gardens and Plantations.* 



James Island, South Carolina, 

 U. S. A., February 2lst, 1906. 

 My Dear Sir, 

 I remember the interest you took in the appliance used for ap- 

 plying Paris Green to the cotton plant for destrsying caterpillars. 

 I am now trespassing upon your time to give you some further in- 

 formation on this subject. Last summer there was introduced a 



* For previous letter by \Vm. Se.ibrook on P.iris Green, see Bulletin July, 1904, page 

 159. 



