Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-10-24

1t is not probable that many of our readers
have bestowed much thought upon what ap-
pears to be so insignificant a matter as
phial or bottle cork and yet few of the little
devices or appliances which enter into do
nestle and trade uses are so Indispensable and
wonderful as these shoppers. There is not a
growth in the vegetable kingdom which man
nppropriates to his use so universally as the
bark from the cork tree. 1t is not alone Of
inostimable value as affording shoppers 10 bot
ties, but it is employed in the arts and manu-
factures TO q vast extent. If we regard it,
however alone in its uses for shoppers, what
substance known to man could by any posi-
bility supply its placcY Soft, elastic, light,
imperyiOus to moisture, not readily acted up
on by destructive agents, cheap, easily cut
into any desired form, it stands alone as the
one perfect substance needed to close the ori-
fees of vessels Of glass or metal and retain
the contents so as to be easy of access when
wanted Cork, like SPONGE seems to have
been specially designed for mans use and
convenience, and the structure, texture, and
natural history of both are wonderfully in
teresting. They are little things" regarded
in the light of the stupendous adaptions of
the resources Of nature to human needs, but
rs Indispensable, almost, to modern civilza-
tion as the stcam-engine, or gunpowder.
The tree from which cork is obtained is
species OF oak, QuercuS suJer, which grows
plentifully in the south Of France, Spain, AL
geria, and some parts of Italy but it is from
the Atlantic side Of France and from Portugal
that we obtain the major part of our supply.
The tree is quite handsome in appearance, =
more SO, indeed, than the oak when full
grown. The wonderful tree seems to be de-
signed specially to supply its valuable bark
for the wood is of little value for construc-
tive purposes, although it is fair for fuel
When the tree is twenty years old, or theTea-
bouts it periodically throws of it's bark af-
ter 1t has grown Of prodigious thickness, and
then it begins TO form n new covering 1t
does not like the snake crawl out of its skin
but it rejects its covering by force from
within. 1t has been found best, however not
to let the tree have its own way for the bark
thrown off is not quite satisfactory. Nature
needs little help, and the bark is artificial
ly removed by the following process -
In the months of July and August, when
the sap flows plentifully, n. circular incsion is
first made II few inches above the surface of
the ground, then similar circular cut round
the trunk Immediately under the main
branches, care being taken not to penetrate
the inner bark. The portion intervening be-
tween the two cuts is then slit down longitu-
dinally in three or four places which divides
the bark into broad sheets or blanks. The
tree Is now lett Tor a time, so that the mOls-
ture from the sap may dry. The bark is then
taken from the stem. more or less curved ac-
cording TO the breadth and diameter of the
trees from which it has been taken. The in
strumcnt used for cutting and removing the
bark from the stem is a sort of an axe the
haudle Of which is fattened into a wedge
like shape at the extremity. which serves to
raise the bark. The bark grows again, aud
As this tree lives, according to DIR. Hamel,
hundred and fifty years or more, its disbark-
ing takes place regularly every eight, nine, or
ten years, the quality of the bark improving
with the increasing age of the tree, which is
not in the slightest degree injured by the
process. At the first and second gatho ring,
the bark is fit only for floats for fshcrmen's
nets and other inferior uses it is not until
the third disbarking that the substance has
attained the desired perfection for the manu-
facture of corks. The sheets, layers or table
of cork, they are called, are now scraped
on the outer surface to remove the coarser
parts of the epidermis and any epiphytes or
other extraneous substance. They are then
thrown into deep pits, and covered with wa
ter to soften them in order to be fiattened by
pressure under heavy stones, after which
they are dried over q fire, being frequently
turned during the process to prevent their re-
turning to their original shape