Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1897-07-08
MANUFACTURE OF cAmPHoR.
Wasteful Methods Of Extracting I
From tho srvao.

""S'oAuA methods of Extracting 1t
From the Trees.
Camphor is exclusively a product of
Japan. The camphor tree thrives only
in particular localities, which are usu-
ally within reach of the sea atmos-
phere. They must face to the south,
and have an average yearly tempera-
ture of above is degrees G. The tree
grows slowly-about one and a half
inches year-but attains a great size
40 feet in circumference being not an
unusual dimension. After the trees
have attained bearing age, that is,
about 40 years, the yield per cho-about
two and half acres-is equal to $40 900
(silver) a year, says the Pittsburg Dis
patch. Since the supply Of camphor
has fallen off. and the material has
risen in price, the camphor trees have
been felled so Unfortunately that at
present except in state forests and in
the premises of shinto shrines, there
are practically no available camphor
trees. The supply of raw material is
now barely kept up digging roots and
stumps of trees cut down decades ago,
after the manner of the owners of West
Indian logwood properties, who in late
years have made fortunes by digging
up and shipping for dye the roots and
stumps of logwood trees ''chipped" by
their ancestors. Another source of
camphor supply is the trees which
have been cut down surreptitiously in
state forests. Camphor refiners and
merchants are looking to Formosa,
where considerable extent of cam
phor forests is found.
The manufacture of the crude cam
phor is most primitive. 1t consists in
steaming the thin chips of the wood
in a wooden cask set down over an
iron pot, the steam holding camphor in
gaseous state being conveyed through
bamboo pipe to set of two rectan-
gular wooden receptaclas, placed one
within the other. In these the steam
is condensed and the camphor solidi-
fed. The chips are steamed about "a
hours, and then replaced by fresh
chips, this process continuing for ten
or fifteen days. When the receptacle
becomes thoroughly cooled the solid
camphor deposited in the lower COM
partment Of the upper receptacle is
scraped off. The deposits vary greatly
according to the relative excellence of
the quality Of the raw material, the
average yield being about twenty-six
pounds. There is no division of la
Dor, as one man obtains the supply of
chips and tends the furnace. The max
ing of crude camphor is in fact a by
work of the Japanese farmer during the
winter season, when he has very lit
tie else to do. After the deposits
have been transferred to dripping
tub" and left there three days to sep
arate the water and oil from the cam
phor, the crude material is packed in
to another tub, which holds 160 pounds,
and is ready for export. Crude cam
phor contains on an average 10 to Is
per cent of camphor oil, which yields
in turn about so per cent of camphor.
This is separated by freezing the oil
with mixture Of salt and ice. The
process of camphor making is as waste
full as it is crude. It Is estimated that
only 2 per cent of the camphor is OBJ
tanned from the chips. The introduce
ton of improved apparatus will have
the effect of increasing the yield many
fold,