— 26 — 



that the camphor market has lately begun to revive and that an increased 

 demand may be expected for the ever-growing requirements of the celluloid- 

 industry. With regard to the position of artificial camphor, the represen- 

 tative expresses the opinion that its manufacture cannot be profitable at 

 the present prices and that there is not in existence a single factory 

 established for the sole purpose of preparing the article (?). 



According to a report by the British Consul in Formosa 1 ), the available 

 supply of camphor trees in the settled districts of the island is steadily 

 decreasing, but new plantations are being laid down in suitable spots, 

 and it is also hoped that the campaign against the savages to be under- 

 taken within the next few years will throw open to exploitation fresh 

 areas of trees. For the current year the Monopoly Office has limited 

 the output to 6670000 lbs. of camphor and 7333000 lbs. of camphor oil. 

 The shipments in the year 1909 totalled 6670 660 lbs., of which 2465000 lbs. 

 went to Germany, 1908000 lbs. to America, 1344900 lbs. to France, 

 759000 lbs. to England and 193160 lbs. to other countries. The output 

 of camphor oil (4795907 lbs.) went entirely to Japan for working up 

 into camphor, of which the oil contains 40°/o. The preparation of camphor 

 from the leaves is still in the experimental stage. It is hoped that the 

 establishment of two celluloid factories in Japan will exercise a favourable 

 influence upon the camphor industry of Formosa. 



In one of the sources of information from which we have drawn the 

 above particulars, reference is made to a species of camphor-tree which 

 is said to be abundant in the mountainous regions of Formosa and of 

 which the oil "is employed in Europe and America as a most valuable 

 base for perfumery purposes, its present price being said to be 8 Yen 

 per ounce (equal to about 225/- p. lb.)". The sale of this oil, it is averred, 

 is of course much more remunerative than that of camphor, and would 

 be so even if the price fell by one-third, and all means are to be employed 

 to promote the manufacture and sale of this oil. 



In our opinion we must look to the future for a disclosure of the 

 nature of this mysterious oil and its botanical origin. It is evidently 

 identical with the linaloe oil from Formosa mentioned on page 79. 



Important information concerning the production of, and trade in, 

 camphor in China is contained in a report' 2 ) by the Commercial Expert 

 to the German Consulate-General in Shanghai and affords a welcome 

 complement to the data in our Report of April 1908, p. 21. The Expert 



*) Diplomatic and Consular Reports, No. 4500; quoted from Journ. Soc. chem. Industry 

 29 (1910), 976. 



2 ) Nachrichten f. Handel u. Industrie 1910, No. 75, p. 3. 



