The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-27
Camphor Growing in Florida.

A recent issue of the Chicago Tribune
contained the following interesting letter
from DR.. e. NJ. Hale, of that city, who is
well known in this state, and whose OBJ
servations upon the subject are fortified by
an intimate knowledge of local conditions
and climatic influences. His remarks, al
though somewhat lengthy, will be read
with interest by all who favor the enlarge
ment of Florida's opportunities for devel-
opment:
1t is the opinion of far-sighted men who
have lately given the subject much atten-
ton that the cultivation of the camphor
tree in Florida may become of greater i'm
portance than that of the orange or any
other crop.
The world is looking anxiously for some
new source of supply for camphor. For
mer supplies came from China, Japan, and
Formosa. In China it is not now cultivat-
ed. In Japan only limited amount of
camphor forests remain This is under
government control and the output is very
limited. The island of Formosa remains
the principal source of supply The interior
of the island used TO be one vast camphor
forest. The trees there grow to a very
large size. They are said to reach a hight
of $50 feet. The natives collect the camphor
tree is cut down and the roots dug up. The
wood roots contain the most camphor The
leaves are not used although they contain
a large amount. This wanton destruction
will soon annihilate the forests unless the
present owners of Formosa can arrest it.
The method of preparing the gum varies;
but generally the chips of the wood and
roots and bark are boiled in great cal
drons or pans and the gum, volatized, is
caught In mesheS of straw or tubes over
the caldron.
Camphor gum has already been made
in Florida from the leaves and twigs of
young trees. They yield about one pound
of solid, refined gum to every seventy
seven pounds of fresh leaves. 1t is not
necessary to injure the tree 1t will bear
a great amount of pruning without in
jury 1t is an evergreen and makes three
growths a year-in April, June and Octo-
ber 1 have on my place here ten trees
planted in 1898. They are now fifteen feet
high, and would have been thirty, but
were killed back by the great freeze. The
growth is very dense. One can hardly see
through the foliage. One-half of the in
terror and exterior growth could be cut
out and hardly be missed If a freeze
comes 1t does not destroy the value of
the foliage, for camphor can be made
from the frozen leaves. Few are aware
how important is camphor as an article
of commerce. Its use in medicine is but
a drop in a bucket compared with it's use.
in the arts. The oil, which was formerly
considered worthless is now more valua-
BILE than the gum, as ii has become in
dispensable in the manufacture of fine
toilet soaps
One curious thing about the cultivation
of camphor trees according to Fl. G. Hub
bard, special agent of the United States
department of agricultural is the impor-
tant fact that it removes nothing from
;c emit ~
of the gases of the atmosphere. If the
leaves after the gum is removed are re-
turned to the land nothing Is lost On the
contrary, there is a constant gain, and as
in a forest the soil will grow richer year
after year. An old camphor plantation,
after 1t has covered the ground will need
no fertilization. My trees are growing on
the very poorest white sand, but they
grow as If they were highly fertiiZed.
The crop of leaves and twigs can be gath
cred at any season. Then can be gathered
from the trees after they are three years
old, and with actual pele1t to the tree.
The inside cuttings to such trees will
weigh 100 to $50 pounds. In regard to the
proped method of cultivation, Mr.. Hub
bard says: For quick returns perhaps
the hedge system is the best-that is TO
say, trees three or four feet apart in hedge
rows fifteen feet apart, the intention be-
ing to keep the trees cut back to the size
of eight or ten years. Planting in this
method think plantation in the fourth
season should return $500 to 800 per acre
with camphor gum at 40 cents a pound.
The fifth season ought to double this re-
turn"
This Is a better return than the average
ever received by any orange grower. Cam
phor is often 70 cents a pound The tree
is propagated from the seed, which can
now be procured from prominent seedsmen
and perhaps from the government. My
plants were sent me from the government
gardens at Washington. The cuttings can
be used If properly manipulated.
Every owner of a camphor plantation
should have a distilling plant of his own,
as the cost is slight, and will soon pay
for itself. Small growers should be able
To send their nroduct TO large g-rnwers 10