590 



Tlw Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



the bud and the oldest leaves — a symptom 

 which agrees exactly with the description 

 furnished in a letter received from Travancore 

 early in 1907, asking that we should go over 

 and investigate. But from Dr. Butler's report 

 this is clearly not the same as the wide- 

 spread Travancore disease which he investi- 

 gated, and in that respect the statement in 

 the Royal Botanic Gardens' Report is incorrect 

 We share a coconut disease, but it is not 

 the root disease described by Dr. Butler, and 

 has apparently not been seen by him. 



T. PETCH. 



camphor in burma. 



PROSPECTS FOE CULTIVATION. 



As considerable attention is being devoted to 

 the subject of camphor cultivation in India and 

 plantations are being opened up, notably in 

 Southern India, a review of the position of the 

 industry and the attempts made from time to 

 time at the experimental cultivation of the tree 

 in Burma with the view of examining how far 

 there is a possible future before camphor in this 

 province, would perhaps be interesting. It may not 

 be generally known that in parts of the Kachin 

 track of North Hsenwi, Northern Shan States, 

 camphor trees occur in heavy tree jungles, but 

 they do appear to be very numerous, the largest 

 specimens not exceeding 2 feet in girth. The 

 trees seen lately in this locality were tall and 

 straight and slightly over one foot in girth. This 

 mayhedueto the position, for they are sur- 

 rounded by other trees. These trees bear a small 

 white flower about April and probably belong 

 to the species Blumea balsamifera. Camphor 

 trees are also to be found in the Keng Hung 

 panna of the Mong Han State in the Kengung 

 division of the Chinese Shan States. Further, 

 the plant known locally as pomathein, growing 

 wild in the Karenni, central and Myelat divi- 

 sions of the Southern Shan States, has been re- 

 cognised by the Reporter on Economic Products 

 to the Government of India as belonging to the 

 species Blumea balsamifera. It is strange that 

 neither the pomathein nor the species China- 

 momum camphora, yielding the ordinary Japan 

 camphor, grow in Kengtuug State in Burmese 

 territory, but in that portion of th9 State near 

 the Chinese frontier both species are fairly 

 abundant. The mode of manufacture of camphor 

 lis practised in North Hsenwi is interesting. The 

 leaves and thinner twigs are gathered, though 

 jpi&ture leaves ate preferred, and. placed in g, 



bamboo basket which is then put into a large pot 

 containing water so that it is just above the 

 water, and on top a chatty of cold water is placed. 

 Fire is then applied. The steam from the 

 water in the large pot passes through the basket 

 and the cold water on top, which is frequently 

 changed, acts as a condenser. In a few hours 

 the operation is completed and on the leaves 

 being removed the camphor is found adhering 

 to the sides of the basket after tho manner of 

 salt. It is then scraped off and placed in bam- 

 boo tubes. The yield varies according to the 

 quality and quantity of leaves used jp the 

 operation, but one or two rupees weight is 

 usually the result of a single boiling. The 

 camphor finds a ready market locally, as it is 

 largely used as a medicine and it fetches about 2 

 annas for a rupee's weight. The trade in this 

 commodity is insignificant at present, as tho 

 people only extract the camphor when they have 

 nothing else to do. 



The camphor tree of the species Blumea bal- 

 samifera seems to De indigenous to certain parts 

 of Burma, and the experiments oonducted by 

 the Forest Department to cultivate the species 

 Cinnamomum camphora show that this tree can 

 be successfully grown in the Upper Chindwin, 

 Myitkyiua and Bhamo districts, as also at 

 Momeik, while in Maymyo this tree is reported 

 to be nourishing. The experiment with Cinna 

 momum camphora so far go to show that it can 

 be successfully grown in Upper Burma, and ths 

 species should also do well at suitable elevatiDns 

 in the Shan States. There is, thorofore, a Vary 

 fair possibility of a camphor plantation on a 

 commercial scale in Burma being successful and 

 paying. — Uangoon Gazette. 



MANURING CACAO.- (CACAO OR 

 CHOCOLATE). 



Manurial experiments have boon carried out 

 on cacao trees in 



Dominica. 



Considering the crop returns obtained during 

 the past five years, the results show that tho 

 use of phosphates and potash on the first plot 

 has increased the yield of dry cured cacao by an 

 average ot 219 lb. per acre per annum over the 

 yield given by the unmanured plot. The use 

 of the dried blood alone, primarily a nitrogen* 

 oub manuro, increased the return of cacao by 

 187 lb. while the combination of the two sets of 

 manures, i.e., phosphates, potash and dried 

 bloodj resulted in an average yield of 374 IK 



