t 436 i 



It is easily propagated from seed, also from cuttings. The 

 seeds should be collected in October and November, dried 

 and kept packed up in dry coarse sand until sowing time in 

 May or June. The soil of the seed-bed should be of the 

 usual character, i. e.> sandy loam mixed up with about one- 

 third leaf-mould. The seed-bed should be kept covered up 

 with mats in the usual way, and it should not be allowed to 

 get too dry. The soil-temperature should not be over 75 

 F. at the time of germination, though the external temperature 

 may be as high as 85F. The conditions favourable for the 

 propagation of camphor tree* can be secured in some places of 

 Northern Bengal, in Assam, and in the lower hills generally 

 throughout Northern India. The seedlings will grow at a 

 higher temperature than 85, but the plants in that case will 

 be lacking in vigour. The seedlings may be grown in pots 

 for one to two years until they are ready for transplanting to 

 fields or hill sides. They are ready for trnsplanting when 

 they have attained a height of 20 to 40 inches. They should 

 be planted 20 ft. apart, and after 5 years another lot of seed- 

 lings may be planted in between the rows, so that when the 

 plantation begins to be used for the distillation of camphor 

 after 10 years, one lot of plants may replace an older lot. 

 Trees may be cut down when they are 10, 12, 15 or 20 years 

 old according to their growth and the thickness of the planta* 

 tion. If space can be allowed for a tree to grow uninterrupt- 

 edly for 20 years, it is best to use it after this period \ but 

 younger trees may be lopped if the growth is" thick. The 

 largest proportion of camphor being contained in the older 

 and larger roots and diminishing proportion in the trunk, 

 branches and leaves, it is necessary finally to dig out the 

 entire tree to get the maximum yield of camphor. Even leaves 

 and twigs the distillation of which is neglected in China and 

 Japan yield for every 80 Ibs. about 1 Ib. of crude camphor. 



670. The trees are felled with the axe and the larger roots 

 duly cut, They are then cut into chips, and the fresh chips put 



