The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-02-01
Cultivation Of the Cork Tree.
From ar Exchange,

recent investigation has demon
strated that the cork tree will flour
ish on the Pacific slope, and those
best informed on the subject are of
the opinion that it may be grown
equally we'll in most of our Southern
States, particularly Florida and the
Carolinas. The chief difficulty in the
way OF making the raising Of cork an
American industry and the one which
doubtless deferred capital from seek
ing this field of Investment hereto.
fore, is the length of time necessary
to bring the tree to maturity. The
first bark is not stripped from the
tree until it has attained the age of
twenty-five years, and this bark ow>
ing to It's cracked and porous con-
dition, is unfit tor the manufacture OF
corks. The second stripping, which
occurs seven or eight years alters
wards, is little better, and not until
the third or until the tree is about
forty years cid, is really good wood
obtained from it, after which it bears
a crop regularly every six to nine
years so long as it lives. 1t is CEN
trary to the American spirit to wait
such a length OF time tor returns from
an investment, and yet here is large
opportunity tor prudent man to do
something for posterity, it, like Arte-
mus Ward, he does not deprecate
that sort Of thing. The first cost is
exceedingly small. In Spain and
Portugal, where the largest forests
are situated, when it is contemplated
starting new forest, land is usually
selected OH the side of mountain,
and burned over. 1t is then turned
up with pillow, which in those
countries means simply bent stick
shod on the end with iron, which
turns Rp the earth to the depth of
about tour inches. The acorns are
then sown in the burrows and cover.
ed over. No further attention is paid
to it for at least ten years, when the
young forest is gone over and the
dead and unpromisiug looking trees
thinned out, after which it is allowed
to rest until the time OF the first cut
ting arrives. Land can be procured
in Florida, for instance, at about 81
per acre, and the cost Of the acorns
and the first blowing would not be
large. An expenditure of $4,000,
ought 10 purchase and plant 1000
acres of land, which in forty years
should be worth, according to the
estimate ola prominent cork importer
in New York, and one thoroughly
familiar with cork growing abroad,
at least one million. The estimate is
based upon the price of wood in
Spain and Portugal, where it is worth
about $40 sterling per ton, and it is
not infrequent for tree to bear from
five to ten tons of merchantable
wood. The tree grows equally we'll
in dry Or moist soil, but will not stand
much frost. The process of gather
ing the wood is described as follows :
The cutters use a peculiarly shaped
Ratchet, with which they first cut
through the bark around the base OF
the tree. They then commence at
about the point where the first
branches start, and split it straight
down. After which it is pealed off
and curled up into rolls. The pro.
cess is continued both upon the bal>
ance of the trunk and larger limbs
until all the merchantable bark is
taken off. 1t is then put into bundles
and carried to the boiling house,
where it is placed III q tank OF boiling
water and allowed to remain for fit:
teen or twenty minutes, when it is
taken out and flattened, and the
rough outside bark scraped off. 1t
is then placed in piles under weights,
until dried, when it is carefully trims
med and made ready for market.
The forests in Spain and Portugal
belong to the Crown, ana are il the
main leased to private individuals,
yielding a handsome revenue TO the
government. They are protected from
destruction by the law, the destroy
er of a cork tree being liable 10
severe punishment. But it is often
asked how can the bark be
peeled from tree without killing it?
The reply is that the tree has two
banks, the outer one, which furnishes
the cork of commerce, being in the
nature of fungus, and the inner,
constituting the live bark. This bark
is, however, frequently taken off su-
reptiluously for the valuable tannic
properties 1t contains. The people
engaged i'll this industry in these
countries number many thousands.