THE CAMPHOR TREE. 69 



appears from experiments which have been made, that 

 those trees which contain much oil in their \^'oodv tissue 

 at the time of ^-ear when storms are frequent, are the least 

 exposed to the ravages of lightning. Dead branches on 

 a tree increase the chances of its being struck. It must 

 have been earh' noticed that the Oak was most frequenth' 

 struck, hence it was sacred to the God of Thunder. 

 The contrary supposition is not so well founded in the 

 case of the Laurel, at any rate it has been questioned. 



The Camphor tree {Cinnamomiim Camphora) belongs 

 to the Laurel famih- and is a native of Western China 

 and Japan. It grows to a fine tree on the Italian Lakes 

 but does not flourish here as the calcareous soil does not 

 suit it. The evergreen leaves of the Camphor tree are 

 much thinner than those of the Laurel, and as the^' 

 grow on long stalks the foliage has a less dense appear- 

 ance. In addition to this the leaves are of a much 

 lighter green, shinv abo\'e, glaucous below. When bruis- 

 ed the leaves emit a strong smell of Lamphor; the 

 Camphor, however, is not procured in any great quantit)- 

 from these, but from the wood of the tree b^' sublimation. 



Closeh' related to the Camphor tree is the Cinnamon 

 [Cinnamomiim zeylanicnni) whose shin^' green leaves 

 when crushed smell of carnations. The Cinnamon of 

 commerce consists of the bark of A'oung shoots of the 

 Cinnamon tree, which are cut off and peeled after heavy 

 rain. The bark is allowed to dry first in the shade and 

 them in the sun, so that the flakes curl up together and 

 form little rolls. Hence the German name of "Kaneel" 

 from "canella", a little reed or tube. 



*3 



