376 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



camphor industry should not be started in the 

 province. The question of camphor distillation 

 in Burma was recently considered by the Forest 

 Department. The first point was to design an 

 experimental still of sufficient capacity to see if 

 camphor could be manufactured on a commer- 

 cial scale from the Btumea balsamifcm • the 

 next point required a chemical investigation to 

 determine the percentage of essential oil in the 

 fresh green plant, and compare it with the per- 

 centage obtained from the plant in its dry state. 

 These analytical determinations were made with 

 the plants growing in the Toungoo and Eatha 

 forest divisions, and the results show that the 

 branches and leaves of the Btumea balsamifera 

 can be profitably distilled for the extraction of 

 the oil and camphor. In North Bsenwi the 

 leaves and thinner twigs are gathered, though 

 mature leaves are preferred, and placed in a 

 bamboo basket, which is put into a large pot 

 containing water, but not touching the water, 

 and on top of the basket a chatty (vessel) of 

 cold water is placed. Fire is then applied. The 

 steam from the water in the large pot passes 

 through the basked, and the cold water on top, 

 which is frequently changed, acts as a conden- 

 ser. In a tew hours the operation is completed, 

 and on the leaves being removed the camphor is 

 found adhering to the sides of the basket. It is 

 then scraped off and placed in bamboo tubes. 

 The yield varies according to the quality of 

 leaves used in the operation. The camphor finds 

 a ready market locally, as it is largely used as a 

 medicine. The trade is insignificant, as the 

 people extract the camphor only when they have 

 nothing else to do. In Kengtung, on the other 

 hand, a considerable export trade exists with 

 the southern Shan States. — Journal of the Royal 

 Society of irts, August 25, 



TOBACCO, COTTON, AND CASTOR OIL 

 CULTURE I N SOUT H AFRICA. 



i-have received a copy of the Journal of the 

 Royal Society of Arts of March 13th, 1896, cou- 

 tainingan article by Mr Tripp on the cultiva- 

 tion of tobacco in Sumatra, which proves most 

 interesting and instructive, and contains invalu- 

 able information. 



Unhappily, our Government does not suffi- 

 ciently encourage farmers to depart from their 

 old-fashioned ways of agriculture, nor is instilled 

 into them the spirit of venture into new methods 

 of farming to move with the times. This by no 

 means implies that the Government must spoon- 

 feed the agricultural community, but it might 

 to advantage impart knowledge by meaus of 

 lectures and practical proof, and so educate a 

 most conservative people, how to depart from 

 the ways of their forefathers. 



A few years since, tobacco culture in the 

 Transvaal and in the Orange Free State appealed 

 to me, and I decided to experiment locally. I 

 gathered advice as to the suitability of certain 

 soil on the Sunday River, and of the climate, 

 and the difficulty of securing skilled labour waB 

 eventually overcome. The size of the plants and 

 of the leaves, and the quality of the tobacco, 

 proved highly satisfactory, and the aroma and 

 flavour were excellent. 



The following year I extended operations to 

 prove the profits of tobacco culture, with the 



result that the demand for the local-grown to- 

 bacco exceeded far the supply. Many farmers 

 came to view the fields, and a number of them 

 ;re planting this season, which is encouraging. 

 I am now experimenting with Turkish cigar var- 

 iety and Brazilian tobaccos. Unfortunately, 

 however, skilled labour is wanting, which is pro- 

 ving a drawback and hardship. Fermentation 

 and the curing of the leaves are imperfectly 

 understood, and our workmen cannot grasp that 

 successful culture lies in such apparently small 

 matters as weeding and in the keeping of the 

 soil loose, topping carefully and systematically, 

 and in the gathering of the leaves separately 

 (and ripe leaves ouly), and carefully conveying 

 them to the drying sheds, 



Cotton Coltdre.— Last year I planted the 

 following kinds of cotton — Barbadoes, St. Vin- 

 cent, Egyptian Abbassi. and American tiattler. 

 ( he plants grew well and the bolls, with a tine 

 fibre lint, were large and well developed. Ootton 

 cultivation should be encouraged, and it is plea- 

 sing to find that the East London Chamber of 

 Commerce is taking the matter in hand. 



Castor Oil. — On the mines and elsewhere in 

 the Union there is practically an unlimited de- 

 mand for castor oil. To experiment with the 

 cultivation of the castor beau followed naturally, 

 and I planted the Italian and the colonial kinds. 

 Both grew well and yielded beyond expecta- 

 tions. Under irrigation 1 feel sure nothing more 

 profitable can be cultivated, but as such lauds 

 are limited and largely required for lucerne and 

 cereal cultivation I experimented under condi- 

 tions approaching those of dry lands with satis- 

 factory results. If dry, the first season might 

 prove trying, but even under adverse conditions, 

 its cultivation will pay from the first year ; and 

 as the castor plant or tree is perennial, unless 

 too much exposed the first year or two to 

 frost, I must strenuously advocate its cultiva- 

 tion on dry lands, that is, ground lying idle and 

 useless at present, of which there are millions 

 of acres. I also planted a variety which attains 

 a height of upwards of ten feet with wide- 

 spreading branches, strong enough to support 

 a man's weight. It is, therefore, not difficult to 

 grasp the rich harvest obtainable therefrom. 

 Still our farmers shrug their shoulders and smile 

 when urged to grow the castor bean. Yet ere very 

 many more years have passed the castor bean, 

 like lucerne, against which farmers exhibited 

 bitter dislike, will grow extensively, and proves 

 profitable brauch of South African agriculture. 



P. J. FOUKIB. 



Jansenville, August 5th, 1911. 

 —Jouranl of the Royal Society of Arts, Aug. 25. 



TEA: H IGH P RICES. 



It is satisfactory to see an average of Is a lb. 

 in Mincing Lane for Ceylon tea and "Diyanila- 

 kelle " has to be congratulated ; but what is that 

 compared to an average of 2s lOd paid for " Jung- 

 pana" teas — we suppose from Darjeeliug — in the 

 latest London sales. Calcutta exchanges contain 

 accounts of the sale of two choice lots of Indian 

 tea in Mincing Lane at the mid-September 

 Auction, both being secured by Messrs. Harri- 

 sons and Crosfield. The first bid was 4s a pound 

 in Bond, the final price reached 5s lid ex duty. 

 The second lot was 5s 3d duty paid. 



