CHAP. CV.

COUYLA'CEA!. QUE'RCUS.

1915

diately under the main branches, and another at a few inches above the sur-face of the ground. The portion of bark intervening between the two cuts isthen split down in three or four places; care being taken, both in making thecircular cuts, and also the longitudinal ones, not to penetrate the inner bark.This operation is commonly performed in July, or in the beginning of August,when the second sap flows plentifully. The tree is now left for 8 or 10 years,when it is again disbarked as before; but the bark has not even now attainedthe desired perfection for the manufacture of corks; and, therefore, it is sold tothe fishermen for their nets, and for different other inferior uses. At the endof 8 or 10 years more, a third disbarking takes place, when the cork is foundto have the requisite thickness and quality. From this time, while the treeexists, which, according to Bose, may be two or three centuries, and, accordingto Du Hamel and Poiret, 150 years or more, its disbarking takesplace regularly every 8, 9, or 10 years; the quality of the bark im-proving with the increasing age of the tree, which is not in theslightest degree injured by its removal. (A T mw. Du Hamel, vii. p. 188.;and Poirets Hist. Phil, des Plantes, vii. p. 419.) The instrument bywhich the bark is cut and separated from the tree is a sort of axe(y%. 1799.), the handle of which is flattened into a wedge-like shapeat the extremity; and this serves to raise the bark after it has beencut: in short, the instrument is not unlike that used in Britain fortaking the bark off the common oak. The cork, when first removedfrom the tree, is in laminte, more or less curved, according to theirbreadth, and the diameter of the tree from which they have beentaken. To make them lose this curved form, after being scrapedon the outer surface to remove the coarser parts of the epidermis,and atiy epiphytes or other extraneous substances, they are held over ablazing fire till the surface becomes scorched; after which they are laidflat on the ground, and kept in that position for some time by large stones.This gives them a set, or form, which they retain ever afterwards; and thusthey become in a fitter state, not only for packing and transportation, but forbeing manufactured. The slight charring which the scorching produces hasthe effect of closing the pores of the cork, and giving it what the cork-cutterscall nerve. The best cork is not less than 1J in. in thickness : it is supple,elastic, neither woody nor porous, and of a reddish colour. Yellow cork isconsidered of inferior quality; and white cork, which has not been charredon the surface, as the worst. The duty on manufactured cork, M'Cullochtells us, is prohibitory; and on the raw material it is no less than 81. a ton.The average annual importation is from 40,000 cwt. to 45,000 cwt.; and theprice, including duty, is from 201. to 701. per ton. It is imported from thesouth of France, Italy, and Barbary, as well as Spain; but Spanish cork isthe best, and fetches the highest prices. If the cork which is removed fromtrees at the first and second disbarkings were admitted duty free, it would befound of great use in lining the walls and roofs of cottages, and for coveringtheir floors, and various other uses, which would contribute much to the com-fort of the poorer classes, independently of lining the summer and fishinghouses of the rich, as already suggested.

The tree attains as large a size in Britain as it does in Spain, and mightprobably produce cork for the above purposes, if it were fairly tried, in thewarmest parts of England. Michaux strongly recommends its introductioninto the United States, observing that it could not fail to thrive whereverQ. virens exists; as, for example, on the southern coast, and its adjacentislands. Captain S. E. Cook laments the destruction of the cork trees inSpain, as Bose does their neglect in France. A contract, Captain Cookobserves (writing in 1834), has lately been made for the extraction of a quan-tity of the finest bark from the Sierra di Morena, in the neighbourhood ofSeville; and the contractors were compelled to take the inner bark as wellas the outer, the stripping off - of which is known to kill the tree. The innerbark, being of no use but for tanning, was found an incumbrance to the con-