— 24 — 



future years. The trees planted in the higher, mountainous regions 

 may not be utilised for 40 to 50 years; the seedlings planted in the 

 plains, in view of the fact that their leaves are available after about 

 10 years, are put in rows close together, so that the plantation has 

 more the character of a garden than of a forest. Apart from an 

 occasional clearing of the soil, no particular attention or irrigation is 

 required. In spite of the many kinds of harmful grubs, only about 

 6°/ 00 of the young trees come to grief. 



A very remarkable statement in the report is that there are 

 two different varieties of the camphor tree, one serving for 

 the production of camphor, and the other for that of camphor oil. 

 The difference between the two kinds of trees, it is said, can only 

 be detected by experienced people. During the last ten years, about 

 8 million young trees have been planted out in Japan. In China 

 nothing has as yet been done in this respect, although a keen interest 

 is taken there in reafforestation. 



As a supplement to the above report may be taken the communication 

 by the Tokyo correspondent of the Times 1 ), that the Japanese have 

 decided to subjugate the district along the East coast of Formosa 

 which since time immemorial has been inhabited by savages. The area, 

 inhabited by about 100 000 savages, comprises about 75000 square 

 miles of the richest territory. 8000 Chinese, commanded by Japanese 

 officers, have since last autumn already occupied 1328 square miles, 

 in spite of obstinate resistance on the part of the savages. 



Stimulated by the remunerative prices of camphor, the production 

 in South China has been forced to the utmost, as we find mentioned 2 ) 

 in the last annual reports from the British consul PI ay fair 3 ) and the 

 American consul Gracey 4 ), both in Foochow. 



The first -named states that the camphor export from Foochow, 

 which in 1905 amounted to 4805 cwt, value ^43039, in 1906 

 increased to 13585 cwt., value ^185852. These figures point to an 

 unprecedented destruction of trees, for which Gracey makes the 

 Chinese, Japanese, and British responsible. In well-informed circles 

 it is known that this fact must lead in 5 to 6 years to the ruin of 

 the camphor industry in the province Fo-kien, as the trees there 

 (and also in the adjoining province Che-kiang) do not grow in close 

 areas, but only here and there distributed in the Northern part of 

 the province. No doubt the provincial authorities demand that, like in 



*) Chemist and Druggist 70 (1907), 834. 



2 ) Comp. the British Annual Report for 1905. Semi-annual Report April 

 1907, 19. 



3 ) Diplomatic and Consular Reports, No. 3913, August 1907. 



4 ) Daily Consular and Trade Reports, No. 2899, June 19, 1907. 



