The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-08-01

q small expense. Thujone at present is
obtained from thuja oil, which is quoted
in Mercks index at 50 cents per pound:
1t is used for external applications ana
for perfumes. 1t is likely that If the
thujone were converted into thuJyl al
cohol it might become the basis for a
large variety of synthetic perfumes.
Fenchone is at present obtained from
oil of fennel, is used in medicine and its
price is $1.S4 per pound. The price OF
borneol is quoted by Merck at $1.75 per
ounce. Under these conditions 1T would
seem that the crude oil obtained as above
described should easily be worth from
so cents to 81 per h. A simple calcu-
lation will show what a source of help
the marketry of this oil might prove TO
be in the clearing of logged-off lands.
Assume that in an acre of underbrush
two cedar bushes, each yielding 100 lbs.
of twigs and leaves, grow upon each
square rod. At this rate each acre would
yield 16 tons of twigs and leaves or
about 800 lbs. of oil. This would mean
a gross income of from $3.50 to $500 per
acre.
Fir Underbrush.
The second paper very happily takes
up the problem where the preceding one
ends. The audience will say that the
cedar tree is comparatively SparSely
distributed, many tracts not yielding a
single tree. In reply, it may be said that
the land clearer need not rely upon cedar
trees alone for the fir underbrush is
just as valuable.
In the paper under review, the same
method was followed as above outlined
oil obtained has q greeniSh yellow color
and an odor resembling oil of lemon.
When subjected to fractional diStil1ation
found that 40 per cent of the crude oil
boiled below 10 degrees c., showing that
it consisted largely of terpenes. 1t was
found that 40 per cent of the crude Oil
is camphene, while about 80 per cent OF
it is borneOl Both of these constituents
are intermediate steps in the production
of synthetic camphor The latter in
dustry has never proved highly success
full, partly because it depended upon tur-
pentine as it's source of supply. In the
camphene and borneol of the Northwest,
however, it seems as though hitherto
overlooked source of camphor might be
utilized. Taking the same basis OF cal
culation as in the former case and con-
verting the crude Oil into camphor, 800
lbs. of oil would yield about 230 lbs of
camphene and borneol, which, in turn,
would yield from 12O to 200 lbs. of cam
phor. The present market price of cam
phor is 60 cents per h., wholesale, thus
yielding from $72 to $12O per acre of
gross income.
Regarding the cost of the above proc
esses these papers do not consider that
within their province. Under stress of
necessity those things are usually
worked out more successfully by the
man in the field than by the student in
the laboratory. 1t may be added, how
ever, that the cost Of steam distillation
is not very n1Sn. "A prODaDlo course Oh
procedure would be to bale the twigs,
construct portable still and use the
residue for fuel in the production of
steam. From this it appears that the
chief item of expense is that of labor
and if the latter might be fully compen-
stated in the complete clearing of the
land by the income from the sale of the
products mentioned, it would be a for
ward step in the regaining of our logged
off lands.
Oregon Grape.
The third paper submitted in the con-
test above mentioned, dealt with a Sc
rieS of experiments which would indi-
cate that in the Oregon grape so COM
mon on this coast is found an alkaloid
which is of great use for medicinal pur-
poses. The method Of dealing with this
subject is so largely technical and the
process of treatment so complicated that
it would not seem to be of interest to
this audience to dwell upon the details.
Suffice it to say that in the writer's
opinion, if the roots and bark of the
Oregon grape were collected and dried,
they could be sold at a small but rea-
sonable recompense and these bushes
which now are cast aside as worthless
might be made one of the several factors
which are necessary for the economical
clearing of our western lands.
The farmer, fruit grower or poultry
man will find no better market or more
desirable land than that offered by
Messrs F. j. Hart & Company, Ltd, of