The Lincoln County herald., 1871-08-24
Cork and Cork Trees,

4 species of oak (quercus suber).
which is native Of the South Of Europe
or north Of Africa, especially Spain and
Portugal aud Algeria, has . peculiar
hsb,t Of producing an outer bark Of a
foogous appearunces which cracks, aud is
throw of 10 great fakes. This cork, aud
the tree from which it comes is called the
cork oak or cork tree. II is strictly On
OAK, not OF great size, generally twenty
or forty feet high, much branched, with
evergreen leaves, and bearing ncorns
which are eatable, and which resemble
chestnuts in taste The Cork material is
tho spongy cellular tissue forming the
ouier bark, which has ceased to have any
vitality, aud has become an incunbrance
to the tree even before II Is ready to
fake of Of itself. Ii Gun be peeled of
therefore . yesr or two 6eture distention
would burst it of, and this 10 doue where
cork is gathered regularly for the mar
ket Longitudinal and traverse incisions
are made to the proper depth, each piece
is then cut away from the tree by
curved knife with t~e handler The
operation, when performed with proper
care, so far from being injurious, pro
notes the health Of the tree, which pay
DO peeled off at intervals Of six or cigh,
years, for hundred to one hundred and
fifty years. In Spain and Portugal,
which chiefly supply the world with cork,
forests of the cork oak are frequently
pl nted for the production Of cork Tho
tree Is occasionally planted in the south
Of England, but the climate is not suf6.
ciently warm to be favorable to its
growth. .....
be pieces Of cork. as they come in
sheets from the tree. are soaked in water,
pressed fat dried. and specifically
charred. to remove superficial imperfec
tions and conceal blemishes, and are then
| packed in bales for the market. Before
cutting, If it is found that simple pressure
has not sufficiently aattened it, it is heate
on the convex side, and the contraction
thus produced straightens it. 1t il then
cut into slips, and these slips into squares,
according to the required size of the
cOrks.
Chambers ,Encvc clopedia gives the fol-
lowing description of cork-cuttiug. 1.-The
corks are rounded by the cork cutter by
means of broad sharp knife the cork l.
held in the left hand, and rested against
a block of wood, and the knife pushed
forward. and at the same time is made to
cscribe q circular curve by a skillful
turn of tho wrist. The knife requires
continual sharpening; tho workman has
board before him, on which the knife
is rubbed on each side after every cut
Many attempts to cut cork by machinery
have failed, owning to the necessity of
continually sharpening the cutters; for
it is . curious fact that so soft sub
stance as cork btuuts thu tools used ia
cutting it far more rapidly than do the
hardest or toughest of metals the tools
used for cutting them. A cork cutter 4
knife requires sharpening every second
while the tool that is used for planning
turning, or boring steel will work for
hours without sharpening s.r. .
Besides the use Of corks for stopping
bottles, casks ETC., it is much used on
account Of its ,ightness, for floats of nets,
swimming belts, etc. an on account el
its ,mpermesbility to water, and its being
slow conductor of heat. inner souls ol
shoes are made OF it. All these uses are
mend med by the ancient Latin author
Pliny; but the general employment Of
cork for glass bottles appear to date only
from tho 6hh century The Spanish
black used by painters is made by burn
ing cork in close vessels, and for thil
purpose the cork cuttings are carefully >
saved by the cork cutters There arc
still other applications of cork in the arti
| wh;ch NO csnnnt horo Jo,,;l