1920] WILSON, CAMPHOR 241 



To appreciate the difficulties of the camphor industry in Formosa it 

 should be remembered that the mountains of Formosa are inhabited by 

 savage tribes addicted to head-hunting. In late years the Japanese have 

 succeeded in bringing many of these tribes under control; causing them 

 to abandon their murderous practice. But the early story of camphor 

 collecting is one of aggression on the part of the Chinese and retaliations by 

 the savages with treachery and rau,ch bloodshed on both sides. Since the 

 Japanese occupation it has been also a fruitful source of border warfare. At 

 one time the whole area where the Camphor-tree grows was savage territory 

 but little by little the Chinese with their camphor still, and latterly the 

 Japanese, have penetrated and forced the savages farther and farther into 

 the recesses of the higher mountains. The Chinese commenced the quest 

 and the Japanese continue to systematically carry it forward. Neverthe- 

 less it will be many years yet before the whole Camphor-belt of the island 

 becomes properly controlled. However, the tree is becoming rare, which 

 should occasion no surprise when it is remembered that its destruction has 

 been in progress since the sixteenth century and with increasing rapidity. 

 Admitting that there are districts in which the Camphor-tree grows yet to 

 be exploited it needs no prophet to foretell a shortage in the near future. 

 The Japanese Government has realized the fact and commenced planting in 

 the northern parts of Formosa on quite a large scale. I saw these planta- 

 tions and they are thriving but there will be lean years before they are 

 available as a source of supply. 



The plantations are all pure which is contrary in method to what obtains 

 in a state of nature, but in all the plantations I saw the young trees were 

 growing well under those conditions. One point, however, must not be lost 

 sight of. Fuel is necessary in camphor distilling and at present in Formosa 

 is supi)lied by the companion trees of other kinds. In the plantations no 



such provision has been made so the fuel will have to be brought from a 

 distance and the cost of camj)hor production will l)e increased. 



There is another fact worthy of record which may have great or may have 

 no effect on the yield from plantation camphor. In Formosa the wild 

 Camplior-trees are tall and gathering the fruit has been found to be exceed- 

 ingly difficult and costly. The Camphor Monopoly Bureau, therefore, has 

 purchased and continues to purchase its stocks of Camphor-tree seeds in 

 Japan where in temple grounds the gathering of the seed is a simple matter. 

 So the situation is that plantation Camphor in Formosa, and for that mat- 

 ter everywhere else in the world, is the product of the Japanese Camphor- 

 tree. Whether trees of this origin will produce camphor in quantity and 

 quality comparable with that oF the Formosan trees has yet to be proved. 



The camphor industry of Formosa was established as a Government 

 Monoj)oly in 1899 and the average annual production for the first decade, 

 reckoning the Japanese kin as l| lb. avoir., was camphor 4,375,886 

 lbs., cam{)hor oil 3,757,269 lbs. In the previous decade (i.e. 1889-98) the 

 average annual production of camphor was 4,219,199 lbs.; figures for 

 camphor oil are not available. In the years 1895 and 1896 the produc- 



