— IQ — 



a remunerative method of manufacture. The present high prices of 

 camphor are naturally very tempting, and it remains an open question 

 whether the cultivation can still pay, if some day the camphor market 

 returns to a normal level. 



According to a report from the German Consul at Bombay, the 

 Government, on the suggestion of the local Chamber of Commerce, 

 has the intention of making experiments in the planting of camphor- 

 trees in the Bombay district, and we hope on a later occasion to 

 be able to return to the results of these experiments. The climatic 

 conditions on the Indian coast agree approximately with those of 

 Formosa, and in our opinion the prospects are therefore favourable. 



M. Kimberlin reports in the "American Druggist and Pharma- 

 ceutical Record" (according to an article in the "Tropenpflanzer") on 

 experiments in the cultivation of camphor- trees in California: — 



Camphor-trees have been found near Lake Shabot in the mountains 

 situated sideways of Berkeley in Alameda county, Cal. ; most of these trees 

 are 20 to 35 years old, as can be ascertained from the annual rings. They 

 belong to the species Cinna?nomum camfihora, from which the official camphor 

 is obtained. They are over 25 ft. high; the trees have a large number of 

 branches, a smooth bark, and green, broad, thick leaves pointed at both ends. 

 The freshly peeled bark has an odour like sassafras. The trees grow in a 

 heavy soil, have tapering trunks, with numerous roots which supply abundant 

 nourishment to the tree. When the leaves are rubbed they emit a camphor- 

 aceous odour, which is also apparent in all the other parts of the tree. 

 The wood, leaves and branches burn very readily, owing to their camphor- 

 content. The camphor contained in them belongs to the class of general 

 camphors (C 10 H 16 O) and is reckoned among the ketones. 



Experiments made with the wood of these Californian camphor-trees, 

 when it was distilled with a little water, and on condensation of the vapours, 

 actually resulted in a yield of camphor. The leaves contained about 0,15% 

 camphor of great purity, purer than Japanese or Chinese camphor which must 

 first be purified by refining. The camphor obtained by heating the wood of 

 the Californian camphor-trees to a higher temperature, was not so pure as the 

 product distilled from the leaves and branches. 



Camphor- trees were planted by the Department of Agriculture in many 

 places, and have grown up to fine tall, green trees; they are more 

 weather-resisting than orange- trees , for which they served to afford shade. 

 Camphor-trees thrive in the climate of the coast, to the North of Charleston, 

 in South Carolina, and along the Californian coast. It will be left to a later 

 age to derive profit from the camphor-trees planted, as considerable quantities 

 (annually about 6000) are planted out from the nurseries in suitable districts; 

 but further experiments must show whether the leaves, branches, roots, or the 

 wood of the trunk yield the best camphor, and what will be the most suitable 

 season, the best method of distillation, etc. 



On the occasion of the 6 th International Congress for Applied 

 Chemistry at Rome, Giglioli pointed out, in a paper on Italian 

 camphor, that the camphor-tree thrives in almost every district of 

 Italy, except in the neighbourhood of the Alps, and that it would 

 therefore appear desirable to promote the cultivation of this tree in 



