July 2, 1900.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
5^ 
in J aud packing in Japan and to changes in the tariff, 
but this increase has been much more than counter- 
balanced bv the decrease in importation of crude 
camphor. The decrease may be attributed to thie 
following causes:— (1) the exhaustion of the supply 
of the available camphor trees near the shipping 
ports ; (2) the governmental restrictions on the trade 
in camphor m Formosa; (3) government taxes on 
the exportation of camphor from Formosa ; (^f) hos- 
tilities and wanton destiiiction of camphor stills by 
the natives in Formosa; (5) disturbances in the 
camphor-producing district of China; (6) the China- 
Japan war ; (7) attempts by speculators to corner 
the market. 
These causes have increased the price of camphor, 
and this in turn has led to the introduction of sub- 
stitutes. Iklenthol and other peppermint derivauves 
or compounds, carbolic acid and its derivatives, 
naphthalin, formalin, and insect-powder are now 
used for various purposes where camphor was for- 
merly employed. Camphor has been manufactured 
artificially, at a cost leaving a margin of profit at 
present prices. It is therefore apparent that if the 
production of camphor from the trees is to be carried 
on with profit in thi^ country, and the industry in- 
creased to any considerable extent, the price of 
camphor must bo reduced to compete with the prices 
of snbstitntps now taking its place. 
Camphor has been obtained from several other 
plants not at all related to the ordinary camphor tree, 
but only two kinds. Borneo camphor and Blumea 
camphor, are of any importance commercially. 
Borneo camphor is obtained from the camphor 
tree of Borneo and Sumatra, Diijhalanops aromatica. 
It is deposited in clefts and hollows in tho wood, 
and has simply to be taken out. This camphor is 
comparatively rare, and the supply is consumed al- 
most exclusively in China, where it is valued at from 
thirty to ninety times as much as ordinary camphor. 
Bliimea camphor is obtained by distillation from 
Blumea halsaniifera, a shrub growing in Burma and 
the Blalay Peninsula. This is usually refined in Can- 
ton, whence about 10,000 lb. are exported annually. 
The source of this supply is abundant, and as the 
industry develops it is likely to enter more into 
competition with ordinary camphor. Neither of these 
plants can b? grown in the "United States, except 
possibly in Southern Florida, without protection 
against cold. — Ai/riculturol Gaxette, N. S. Wales, 
PLANTING IN GERMAN EAST AFRICA. 
In the December issue of J^ei- Tropenpflanzer, 'Bevlin, 
are the following intere.';ting accounts of G. B. A. :— 
Tlie Ccfec plantation Saharrc (Uxanihara) . The 
annual report of the financial year 1898-9^ shows 
that the plantation situated in west Usambara 
suffered less from the drought of the preceding 
year than the coffee plantations situated in the 
eastern slopes of the Handai mountains. In the summer 
of 1898, i. e. at the beginning of tho financial year, 
the plantation numbered 300,000 trees and in the 
course of the year i. e. until the end of July, 
220,000 more were planted, so that the entire plan- 
tation consists of 520,000 trees, which gives the plan- 
tation in respect of size the third place among the 
coffee plantations of Usambara (coming next to 
Magrotto and (Union). A dwelling-house, an office 
end two stables have been erected in place of the 
temporary buildings. Besides the plantation roads, 
preparatory works on the high read which is to con- 
nect Sakarre with the future railway station Korogwe 
have also been completed. On this road, near the 
river Garia, the storehouses are to be built. The 
number of labourers varied between 300 and 400, for 
the greater 'Wanyamvv'esi. The village Sakarre has 
become an important market place, to which even 
the inhabitants of distant villages send their produce. 
The original capital of 700,000 marks has been raised 
to 1,5200,000 marks in an extraordinary sitting on 
the 16th of May, and the new shares have been 
laeftily aU tafeen up by the foimer shai-ehpldwa. 
The accounts show that the cost of each tree np 
to now, including buildings, management, etc., is 
about one mark. 
This plantation is therefore one of the most cheaply 
managed in Usambara. 
What account a plantation costs in German East 
Africa— In the '■German East African Zeitung" of 
October 7th is to be found the following rough 
estimate of a plantation of 10,000 palms made by an 
expert: — 
IPurchase of young palms, R. 40-50 
per 1000 R. 400-501 
Carrying them to their respective 
places „ 100-15.0 
Planting 10,000 palms, 4 labourers 
50 days @ R. 4 „ 100-126 
Total R. 600-675 {sic) 
Generally speaking the coat of one palm until 
the time of bearing may be estimated at RIJ. TherB 
may however be favourable conditions under which 
a coconut pla,ntation does not incur further expense 
than the cost of buying the land or paying the rent. 
This is the case when there is a concession to settle 
down on the plantation a number of families for 
the space of six years. They receive the rigjht to 
plant muhogo and bananas in retrrn for a third of 
the produce and the obligation to look after a certain 
number of palms. The muhogo at the same time 
serves for shading the young trees. This third part 
of tho produce of the soil should cover the purchase 
of the seedlings and young palms. The Tropenpjlanzer 
also has the following about the fibre plantation at 
Kurasini, Dares-Salaam: — The original plantations 
consisting of 150 hektars, were bought later on. At 
first only about 30 labourers were employed as it waa 
an experiment. Work was begun on April 25th, 1895. 
The first 45 nurseries were laid out in June 1895 and 
in the beginning of 1896 the first plants were put 
out. Up to spring 1897,27 hektar had been planted; 
on the 26th March 1898 150 hektars were covered. 
The species cultivated is the Manritius hemp 
(Furcroya gigantea) the fibre of which is of less yalna 
than sisal hemp, but the plant is more easily grown. 
The plants were set 9 by 9 ft. apart which gires 
111 plants to 1 hektar. 
The machine for cleaning has been at work since 
December 12th, 1898. It gives about 140 lbs. per 
day- In August the first 45 bales, of 250 lb„ were 
shipped. A light railway has been constructed, 1^ km. 
of which are already in use. There are actually 
60,000 plants ripe for harvest. It is estimated that 
from the time of planting plants are ready for harvest 
in about 3 years time. Each leaf weighs about 2 kgr. 
At the first cutting each plant had about 70-80 leaves* 
1,000 leaves give on an average 40 lb. dry fibre so 
that one hektar produces about 1,000-1,250 kar. (1- 
tons ; the fibre was 1 11 m. long and had a nice whit 
appearance. 
A ton of fibre fetched dnring the last year 400-500 
marks in Hamburg. If the whole plantation were 
laid out at the same time 240 hektars would in three 
years produce 300 tons of fibre, worth 120,000 marks. 
Compared to other products the cultivation of fibre 
ia very simple and cheap. As long as the price doea 
not fall from overproduction my opinion ia that tha 
cultivation of fibre is very profitable. 
AN INCH OF RAIN. 
What does an inch of rain mean ? Few person 
have a definite idea as to what is involved in tha 
term. It may aid those whose opinion on the mat' 
ter is not as fixed and positive as it might be to 
follow this calculation : An acre is equal to 6,272 640 
square inches. An inch deep of water on this acre 
will be as many cubic inches of water, which at 231 
to the gallon is 27,154 gallons. This immense quan- 
tity of water will weigh 228,190 lb. or 114 tons. 
One-hundredth of an inch (-01) alone is equal to 
over one ton of water to the acre,— 0«;e««/fl))(^ Agr%' 
