August, 1912.] 



such idea expressed by so high an 

 authority. In our over twenty years' 

 experience we have never heard of such 

 practice really followed anywhere in 

 Japan, positively not by seedsmen, whose 

 interest is not at all concerned in the 

 camphor manufacturing industry, where- 

 as they have no benefit by protecting 

 the Government monopoly which is a 

 comparatively recent enactment, how- 

 ever patriotic the Japanese may be ; but 

 seedsmen will never do such suicidal 

 practice in their own trade. The Gov- 

 ernment has no control on the seed 

 distribution as the camphor trees are 

 found everywhere in the southern fringe 

 of .lapan proper, where any one can 

 collect the seed freely. 



The idea of "doctoring" may emanate 

 from the fact of the seed arriving injured 

 at the destination so frequently, which 

 we find to be due to its getting heated 

 under tropical transit and ultimately 



losing the germinative power ; however 

 careful one may be in the treatment such 

 is beyond one's control, and it is perfect 

 injustice to judge that the seed has been 

 " doctored " or boiled by us the Japanese. 



Whatever may be said, one may not 

 mind, as the demand for the seed has now 

 ceased for export from Japan. Experi- 

 ence will prove that the seed is a very 

 bad carrier, whether it be the Chinese or 

 Ceylon production. Thanking for the 

 insertion in your valuable paper.— Yours 

 faithfully, 



THE YOKOHAMA NURSERY 

 COMPANY, LIMITED, 

 S. Iida, Manager. 



[If our correspondent is alluding to us 

 as the "high authoiity," we do not 

 accept responsibility for the remarks 

 objected to, not being the author of them. 

 -Ed.] 



I 



