The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1895-10-01
CAMPHOR CROP.
METHODS or PRODUCING THIS
USEFUL ARTICLE,
japanese and Eormos,u Forests the
Chiet Sources Of SuppIy-EoiiIny
Trees To Get at the CLmphor
Processes OF Echnin:.
LEW people who use c,m.,to,

oil the cruie crmphor OF Commerce
comes from Formosa and Japan.
mainly the latter. The camphor tree
is an evergreen OF singularlv svmmet.
rical proportions and sometimes re.
sembles linden. Its blossom is a
white Hover, and it bears re berry.
IL attains huge size aud a great age,
some OF the trees being fully fifteen
feet in diameter AMI upwarl of 300
years old. A. venerable and graceful
giants they adorn many of the temple
parks in Japan and delight the eve i,y
their bright foliage an constant
verdure.
Much Of the Island of Formos, is
still inhabited by savages, aul rs the
camphor forests are found only in
land, the production OF crude cam.
phor Is attended with considerable
difficulties and danger. The Chinese
have occupied the coast line only, and
the savages have made it hot for the
Celestials who have tried to make ex
plorations in the interior. The cam.
phor of Formosa is not equal to that
produced in Japan, and the quaint.
ties obtainable are uncertain. Japan
now supplies the world with camphor
to all practical purposes. The annual
export of crude camphor from Japan
averages about five million pounds, of
which about one-fourth comes to the
United States and the remainder goes
to Europe. 1t has to DO refined be-
fore 1T can he usel. The process of
refining has hitherto been carried on
In America and Europe. Recently an
attempt was made to refine camphor
IN Japan, and that country is now
shipping the finished instead of the
crude article.
The crude camphor is produced Nv
Dolilng the camphor tree. The tree
IS cut up into chips and these are
boiled in an apparatus constructed for
the purpose. The vapor from the
boiler or still is conducted into re
ceptacle containing several partitions
surrounded by cold water; in the
SIDES of these partitions are apertures.
opening alternately to cause the yapor
TO enter the divisions by circuitous
route. The camphor vapor condenses,
and is deposited in crystals or grains
upon bamboo screens, whence II is
hnnlly collected rs crude camphor
This process is rough in the extreme
and the apparatus most unscientitic.
but 1T has the sanctity of age, and will
continue to he the most acceptable to
the Japanese The production OF
crude cHmphor means the destruction
of the tree, and many districts are
now denuded of camphor timber.
Only recently have the Government
ana the people taken steps to renew
the depleted forests. Many new trees
have been depleted, and their growth
is being carefully tended Although
the youngest wood hitherto used for
extracting camphor has been about
seventy or eighty years old, it is ex-
pected that under the improved Eman-
aScment the new trees will equally
| good results within twenty-five or
| thirty years. 1t is an interesting fact
that the roots Of these trees contain n
much larger proportion of camphor
than the trees themselves. OF course
! large quantity OF wood has to be
used to produce only small quantity
of camphor, and If two hundred
pounds of the former give ten pounds
of the latter it is considered n rood
outrun. The remaining supply of
cnmphor trees IN Japan is very large.
| and 1T has been estimated that the
trees belonging to the Government
alone are capable of maintaining dur
ing the next twenty-five years the
present average annual supply of cam
phor from Japan. In one district.
Tosa, in Japan, there is group of
thirteen trees about one hundred
years old, which it has been estimated
can produce 40, 900 pounds of crude
camphor, and are worth rs they stand
about $1,000.
After being boiled from the wood
the camphor is brought to the market
in wooden tubs rudely constructed.
and 1T Is subjected TO expert examina-
ton before being accepted by the for
e1gn merchant, as it is often adulter-
ated and often more or less imprep.
mated with water TO Increase its
weight. The innocent native will try
TO make the foreign devil" accent
from five to twenty per cent. of water.
or oil and water, in his parcel of
crude camphor, and the purchaser
must keep his eyes open. After the
HA'N''" VI NNiF uAliH VIC buDS are al
lowed TO drain for some time. and the
camphor is then repacked into strong
or and better packages, ready for shin.
ment TO foreign countries.
The method Of refining camphor is
TO place the crude in iron or GLASS
vessels in sand bath over a fire
where the material melts, changes TO
vapor again, condenscs and forms in
crystals In u compact cake or block.
Books describing this process say that
n small quantity of quicklimo is added
! to the crude camphor TO facilitate the
operation, and also that tho clearest
cakes are formed in the glass vessels.
which have TO be broken TO extract
the finished camphor.
Another process of refining is TO
put the crude Compton into large
steel retorts, whence all impurities.
oils and moisture are conveyed TO o
separate receptacle aud the campbor
yapor is passed into u specially con
structed cooling chamber, where il
condeuscs aud falls in clear crystals or
grains OF pure camphor, These