214 



phor condenses in pure white crystals. If air is permitted to enter 

 the flasks during- this process, the camphor becomes opaque in 

 appearance and consequently less attractive. The flasks are finally 

 sprinkled with water and being broken, the camphor is removed 

 from the upper shoulder where it has collected. Each flask pro- 

 duces a circular cake or bell about twelve inches across, and some 

 three inches thick, weighing about ten pounds. The object of this 

 process is to retain the temperature just below the degree of 

 volatilization. The lime is used in order to free the camphor from 

 any resin which may be present and the iron in the same way 

 takes up whatever sulphur there may be. Charcoal is frequently 

 also employed to remove any foreign coloring matter. 



RESUBLIMATION. 



In former times the camphor was in Europe subjected to a 

 further operation termed "resublimation." This process was not 

 only useless from a practical point of view, but pernicious to the 

 consumer, as its object was to introduce to the mass about fifteen 

 per cent, of interstitial water in order to increase its bulk. The 

 peculiar property of thus absorbing moisture was long made use of 

 and only abandoned with reluctance, as the device well repaid the 

 cost ot operation. 



CULTIVATION. 



The cultivation of the camphor tree is attracting considerable 

 attention in Ceylon, where it is found to flourish at altitudes, from 

 sea level to five thousand feet vnd upwards. The old, destruc- 

 tive method of obtaming the camphor is now being abandoned 

 as too improvident to repay the expenses of cultivation. The 

 distillation of camphor dnxct from the wood is, how'ever, still 

 practiced, but planters are com.mencing to experiment in other 

 and less wasteful processes. In this respect the analogy between 

 the causes affecting rubber and camphor industries, already allud- 

 ed to, has another parallel, for whereas with the best variety of 

 rubber — the Para — the knowledge of a satisfactory process of 

 obtaining the lac is still in abeyance and depends upon experiment, 

 the same experimental period' is being undergone to discover the 

 most economical production of camphor. There seems to be a 

 general tendency to look towards the leaves and new twigs as to 

 the future source of commercial camphor. It is found that the 

 valuable product is distributed throughout the whole system of 

 the tree, and a method of cultivation, depending upon the produc- 

 tion of a large quantity of leaves and twigs, is probably the one 

 which w'ill be aimed at. 



ESTIMATED YIELD. 



To efifect this it is proposed in Ceylon to plant the trees in rowi-, 



