302 



[October, 1912. 



CAMPHOR FROM DRIED CAMPHOR LEAVES. 



Id our Report of October 1910 (p. 27) we discussed a paper by Lommel 

 on the preparation of camphor at Amani. A second paper from the same 

 author contains some interesting data on the distillation of dried cam- 

 phor leaves of which a synopsis is given below. The author first deals 

 with the distillation of leaves which had been spread out for drying in 

 a small cinchona plantation shortly before the setting in of the rains, 

 but which were not yet quite dry. The camphor yield from these leaves 

 was too small to make it worth while estimating it, and the experiment 

 was set down as a failure. For a subsequent distilling experiment a 

 plantation was subjected to moderate cutting, when a quantity of dry 

 fallen leaves was found on the ground between rows of plants. These 

 were first distilled and only yielded 0"06 per cent, of crude camphor and 

 - 19 per cent, of camphor oil, showing that they had lost almost the 

 whole of their volatile constituents during the long time they had been 

 lying on the ground drying, exposed to the alternating effects of rain and 

 sun. 



Next the green leaves were dried on previously cleaned ground under 

 the shade of cultivated cinchona trees. In the course of about a fortnight 

 they were dry enough to be readily stripped from the branches and, 

 collected in sacks, they were carried to the still. The experiment gave 

 a thoroughly satisfactory result; the yield being 1"55 per cent, of crude 

 camphor, and 0*49 per cent, of camphor oil. The result would certainly 

 have been better still, but that on one occasion, in the course of the 

 distilling process, the condensing water became heated, and a not incon- 

 siderable quantity of camphor was thereby lost. 



In view of the fact that present experience of the effects of cutting 

 upon the growth of the trees shows it to be a pretty well established 

 fact that it is possible to cut the trees twice a year, it is reasonable to 

 expect a five year old plantation to yield about 8,400 lb. of dry leaves per 

 acre. This would be equivalent to an output per acre of about 325 lb. of 

 camphor, and about 103 lb. of camphor oil.— Schimmel's Report, April, 1912, 



FIRST FORECAST OF THE COTTON CROP FOR 1912. 



[The United Provinces Represntiwg some 6"4 per cent, op the Total 

 Area Under the Crop in India.] 



In canal districts sowings of cotton began about the usual time in 

 May with the help of irrigation, and the area thus sown up to the end 

 of June 1912 amounted to 221,391 acres as compared with 213,994 acres in 

 the previous year. Elsewhere sowings commenced rather late in the 

 second week of July when copious rain was received in almost all dis- 

 tricts. The crop is reported to have germinated satisfactorily and 

 weeding is being actively carried on. 



The cotton area of the province is expected to substantially exceed 

 the area of the last year when sowings were greatly restricted in con- 

 sequence of the scanty rain in July and August. Except in Bundelkhand, 

 where continuous rain interfered with sowings, the rainfall has so far 

 been favourable and prospects of the crop are good. 



