566  Prospective  Camphor  Industry  of  Florida.  {AmNov.?i89oarm" 
teacupful  of  crude  camphor ;  but  it  is  estimated  that  about  one- 
half  of  the  product  was  lost  in  distillation.  The  still  consisted  of  a 
common  iron  kettle,  holding  10  gallons,  to  which  was  fitted  a  wooden 
cover  plastered  over  with  clay,  and  this  was  connected  with  a  one- 
inch  galvanized  pipe.  The  kettle  was  charged  with  the  camphor 
branches  and  a  small  quantity  of  water,  and  the  distillate  was  col- 
lected in  a  five-gallon  cracker  can  ;  the  condensed  oil,  by  reducing 
the  temperature,  separated  the  camphor.  It  is  claimed  that  if  cul- 
tivated on  a  sufficiently  extensive  scale  the  camphor  tree  would  yield 
much  larger  profit  in  Florida  than  any  other  product  of  the  soil. 
In  addition  to  this,  it  should  be  noted  that  the  camphor  tree  is  an 
evergreen  of  handsome  appearance,  and  hardy  in  that  climate ;  that 
it  is  not  eaten  by  cattle  and  other  stock,  and  that  in  a  few  years  it 
does  not  require  the  protection  of  a  fence,  being  then  strong  enough 
not  to  be  broken  down  by  cattle.  It  flourishes  in  almost  any  soil 
like  the  native  pine  and  oak  ;  is  not  attacked  by  insects,  no  loss 
occurs  by  the  dropping  or  stealing  of  fruit ;  and  every  part  of  the 
tree  can  be  utilized.  Messrs.  Beach  think  that  in  ten  years  more  cam- 
phor trees  will  be  growing  in  Florida  than  orange  trees,  and  that  this 
industry  will  prove  to  be  more  profitable  than  the  production  of 
sugar.  At  the  present  time  the  price  for  yearlings  is  from  25  to  50 
cents,  and  for  older  trees  proportionately  more. 
From  their  experience  thus  far  gained,  they  outline  the  treatment 
of  camphor  trees  as  follows :  At  the  age  of  four  or  five  years  the 
first  cutting  is  made  for  distillation  by  pruning  from -the  ground  to 
the  height  at  which  the  head  of  the  tree  is  to  be  retained.  From 
that  time  on,  the  head  is  sheared  in  a  suitable  manner,  without 
neglecting  the  pruning  from  the  ground  up,  with  the  view  of  making 
the  head  larger.  With  this  treatment,  distillation  is  carried  on  every 
year,  and  in  twelve  or  fifteen. years  the  trunk  of  the  tree  will  then 
have  attained  a  sufficient  size  to  be  sawn  into  lumber,  so  that  the 
valuable  camphor  wood  may  also  be  utilized.  The  trees  being  set 
15  feet  apart,  the  stumps  may  be  allowed  to  produce  shoots  until 
young  trees  have  been  raised  and  are  sufficiently  advanced  to  take 
the  place  of  the  old  ones,  when  the  stumps  are  uprooted  and  sub- 
jected to  distillation.    It  will  be  seen  that  nothing  goes  to  waste. 
It  should  be  stated  yet  that  the  claim  of  the  newspapers  of  the 
greater  strength  of  the  camphor  produced  in  Florida,  as  compared 
with  the  imported  camphor,  is  erroneous.    The  specimen  here 
