^ilf/Jm™'}  Prospective  Camphor  Industry  of  Florida.  565 
ash  and  12-93  Per  cent,  of  moisture,  or  for  the  absolutely  dry- 
material,  70-90  per  cent,  of  tannin  and  2-34  per  cent,  of  ash. 
The  tannin  of  these  galls  was  not  further  investigated  for  the 
want  of  sufficient  material,  since  all  of  those  collected  were  found 
on  one  bush,  and  an  extensive  search  over  a  considerable  section  of 
country  and  among  a  large  number  of  shrubs  failed  to  yield  any 
more. 
I  am  indebted  to  my  assistant,  Mr.  J.  C.  Peacock,  for  the  chemical 
work,  since,  without  his  help,  the  galls  could  not  have  been  so 
promptly  assayed  in  the  fresh  condition. 
THE  PROSPECTIVE  CAMPHOR  INDUSTRY  OF  FLORIDA. 
By  John  M.  Maisch. 
Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy,  Oct.  21. 
The  daily  papers  have  recently  referred  to  experiments  carried  on 
in  Florida  with  the  view  of  introducing  there  the  production 
of  camphor.  Messrs.  A.  J.  Beach  &  Son,  nurserymen,  at  Palatka, 
Fla.,  have,  for  several  years  past,  paid  attention  to  the  culture  of  the 
tree,  and  during  the  present  autumn  produced  some  camphor.  Dr. 
Chas.  A.  Heinitsh,  Lancaster,  Pa.,  has  been  in  correspondence  with 
the  firm  named,  and  has  kindly  placed  at  my  disposal  several  letters, 
from  which  the  following  information  is  gleaned,  that  appears  to  be 
of  general  interest. 
The  camphor  tree  grows  in  Florida  in  almost  any  kind  of  soil,  is 
in  a  growing  condition  for  about  nine  months  during  the  year,  and 
is  not  affected  by  cold  weather.  After  two  or  three  years,  it  will 
grow  with  little  or  no  care,  and  even  in  the  poorest  land  was  found 
to  have  produced  at  twelve  years  a  trunk  14  inches  in  diameter. 
Another  tree,  ten  years  old,  had  grown  two  trunks,  each  10  feet 
high  and  12  inches  in  diameter,  the  total  height  of  the  tree  being 
between  35  and  40  feet. 
It  is  apparent  from  these  statements  that  the  camphor  tree  is  of 
rapid  growth.  When  between  four  and  five  years  old,  it  has  attained 
a  height  of  10  feet  and  a  trunk  diameter  of  4  inches.  From  some 
trees  of  this  size  Messrs.  Beach  cut  branches  about  one  inch  thick  at 
the  base,  and  with  the  leaves,  subjected  them  to  distillation,  the  wood 
and  every  other  part  of  the  tree  being  rich  in  camphor.  Using  an 
improvised  still,  the  yield  from   13  lbs.  of  branches  was  a  common 
