The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-01-09
Cork Where it is Produced
What Healthy Cork Tree
Can do.

What a Healthy Cork Tree
Can do.
Cork is the bark of the evergreen
oak known as Qwercus super. 1t grows
plentifully in the south of France, in
parts of Italy, in Spain, Portugal and
Algeria. Commerce is indebted to
Portugal for its largest supply. There
the cork-tree, majestic in size and rug
ged in covering, its branches sweeping
gracefully over the flower studded
greensward, and its foliage of bright
est green, is monarch of the forrest.
The fawn color of the lesser branches
and the taWny grey of the body fur
nish emphatic and pleasant contrast
to the leaves. Cork oaks form the
royal parks and shade tine piazzas OF
palatial mansions. Single trees of gil
gantic size, sacred as manorial heir
looms, or from historical associations,
whose branches through centuries
have been growing gray with moss,
are regarded with almost superstitious
venerati0n. fa s}s
For constructive purposes the wood
of the cork tree is almost valueless.
1t not only decays rapidly, but its sap
from which no dryness ever quite
frees>it, corrodes nails driven into it.
But the value of the bark fully COM
pensates 70: the inferior quality of the
wood. In fact, the bark of the cork
tree, although, like other oaks, it bears
acorns, may be regarded as its fl uit.
Besides, in its native state, every lew
years, it sloughs lis old covering and
takes on a new. This natural yield is
not commercially valuable, however,
and hence mechanical yield takes its
place. Bark-stripping, done period
icalIy, when the material is in the best
condition, and not the shedding of its
coat from necessity, makes the cork
tree one of the most valuable in the
vegetable world.
When healthy cork tree has reach
ed the age of twenty-fiveit it is subject
ed for the first time to it's shearing.
This is not done at single process,
else the lite of the tree would be en-
dangered. A circular incision is first
made through the bark at or near the
ground, and another, exactly similar
TO, but above the former, close by the
branches. These cuts are followed by
Others, equally deep, made longitude
nally, and dividing the bark into
broad pIanks. The tree is then left.
The sap has been stopped from circu-
lation, the bark begins to dry and
curl outward, and shortly each strip
is peeled off by the hand. This pro-
cess is repeated every ten years, and,
as the cork tree lives to a great age,
there are those now standing that are
growing their twentieth crop. But
theifnest crop comes from the earliest
yield. Every crop is less valuable
than its predecessor. The best cork is
known by it's pliancy, elasticity, alb
sence of porosity, and depth of color,
and theee qualities are gradually lost
by successive yields. The Spaniards
keep their superior material for man.
ufacture at home. OF late years AL
geria is sending exceedingly good
cork to market. The estate there OF
M. le DUO de Montebello, presented
to him by Louis Napoleon, is covered
with cork oak forests, the yield from
which is very great and the quality is
unsurpassed. About six thousand
tons of the raw material of corks are
annually shipped from cork producing
countries, and probably an equal quan
tity is furnished for home consump-
ton.