68 
I should think that planters who have young camphor trees 
cominz on here in Ceylon would find it well worth their while to 
utilise their prunings—especially if firewood is available and 
cheap, as this latter item would be practically the only expense, 
beyond the small amount of labour required and the initial 
expense of a still, which latter could be easily extemporised out of 
almost any kind of large iron vessel to which heat could be applied. 
As the camphor tree is a long while coming to maturity, con- 
go debes of this kind ought to be borne in mind. 
I have pleasure in erclosing a small sample of the camphor 
obtained. As you will see, it has a rather dirty appearance, due to 
unavoidable impurity and the sample smells of camphor oil, = 
these are easily got rid of in the process of refinement. 
enclose a small sample of the same camphor partly purified: b 
sublimation. 
You are, of course, very welcome to make what use you like of 
this account of these small experiments, whether by publication 
or otherwise. No doubt it would be encouraging to those who 
that there is T in our locally grown trees. I have heard of 
one or two misgivings as to whether the soil and climate here 
would favour the formation of camphor in the tree. 
Yours faithfully, 
(Signed) - S. A. OWEN. 
DCXLIX.—PERUVIAN RUBBER. 
Up to the present = little or nothing has been known 
botanically with respect to Peruvian rubber. Our knowledge, 
in point of fact, was Rest well limited to the following statement 
reprinted in the Kew Bulletin for 1892, p. 69, from a valuable 
article in The India-rubber and Gutta Percha and Electrical 
Trades Journal :— 
“There comes from Peru, at the sources of the Amazon and its 
tributaries, a rubber resembling the Nicaragua Sheet, and called 
Caucho. This rubber is very > and consequently shrinks very 
much, which is a serious drawback. It is considered a go 
strong rubber, and it is utilised = a considerable extent by the 
boot and shoe manufacturers.” 
The following correspondence supplies the first information as 
to the actual source of Peruvian rubber. 
FOREIGN OFFICE to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 
THE Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presents his 
compliments to the Director of the Royal Gardens, Kew, and is 
directed by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to transmit 
to him the accompanying paper noted in the margin, respecting 
atree which grows in Peru and produces the quality of India- 
rubber known as “ Caucho.” 
Foreign Office, 
May 17, 1899. 
