CO129-303 - Public Offices & Others - 1900 — Page 324

CA

Kepez 2

Royal Gardens, Kew.

15134

A

15 MAY 90

320

May 14, 1900.

sir,

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your

letter of May 12 (14022) with an enclosure on the subject

of the cultivation of Camphor trees in the New Territory

of Hong Kong from the Superintendent of the Botanical and

Afforestation Department of the colony.

2. In reply I have to state that an independent

communication on the same subject has been received from

Mr. Ford and has been dealt with.

3. While there is every reason to suppose that the

demand for Camphor will increase, it will be seen from the

article in the number of the Kew Bulletin enclosed that

the supply from Formosa has seriously diminished. In any

case it is undesirable that that island should retain a

practical monopoly of the product.

P. Lucas, Esq.,

Colonial office,

Downing Street,

S.

W.