The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-09-13
Cork.

Cork is yielded by the cork oak,
Qatercus Gber, which chiefly iourishes
on the shores of the Mediterranean.
There are, in Spain and Algeria, large
forests of this tree, which is also cult
waited in the departments of Lot-et-
Garonne and Var, in the south of
France and in Corsia.
The cork oak arrives at its full growth
in about one hundred years, when, in
hot climates, it attains height of sixty
or seventy feet, with a diameter of six
to eight feet. The bark consists of two
distinct portions, the inner formed of a
| fbrous tissue, and the outer tuberous,
and of porous and elastic consistency,
which constitutes the cork proper. The
first cork naturally produced by the
| tree Is called the male, and has scarcely
any value; but If this be removed, q
second layer is formed, finer, more
elastic and less irregular, which is
| known as the female cork; and this it is
which is generally used. The stripping
of the cork takes place in summer,
when the circulation of the sap facili-
tates the separation of the outer from
| the inner layer of bark. The removal
OF the first growth is effected when the
tree is twenty to twenty-five years old.
| Several annular missions, andone verti-
cal incision are made with Ratchet,
care being taken to cut the cork only,
without touching the inner bark; the
layer of cork is then easily detached.
! A young oak yields about ten pounds of
cork at the first stripping, while it is
capable, ultimately, of yielding over
three hundred pounds. The first cork
has a thick and hard exterior, which
diminishes with each successive growth.
| Formerly, after the first stripping the
tree was left to itself, without any pro-
lection. Being very tender, it was liable
to be killed by exposure to variations
Of temperature, while numerous insects,
attacking the tender surface of the
tree, reduced the value of the future
cork. Besides, thick and irregular
crust formed, which it was necessary to
remove, thus causing loss of thirty
per cent of cork.
a better plan is to employ the method
of NJ Capgrand- Mothes, which consists
in covering the tree, during several
months after stripping, with the cork
which has been removed. A few
vertical incisions are made in the inner
| pdIh, W D1SfCUb 1UtIO8S DS-
ing formed. The pieces of bark are re-
stored, being fastened by iron wire; and
the joints are made good underneath
with strips of cellulose cardboard.
After three months, in the autumn, the
pieces of bark have become quite dry,
and are taken of. The effect of this
practice is to induce the formation of
protecting layer, tuberous, homogene-
Gus, and elastic, under which the growth
of the cork goes on without danger of
injury.
The detached pieces of cork, fiattened
by being piled up with the outside up
perInost, are freed from their external
surface by boiling and pairing. The
boiling of the cork, which lasts about
half an hour, is effected in large cubical
boilers fired with refuse cork, and closed
by cover which presses upon the pieces.
This pairing is done by hand, or by
means of horizontal rollers provided
with iron blades; but this last-named
operation may be dispensed with when
the practice of covering the tree with
the detached pieces of bark is adopted.
The principal use of the outer bark is
to make bottle corks. They are more
, frequently cut by hand, though some
times by machine, horizontal knife
giving a rotary motion to the piece of
, cork, and thus cutting it into cylindrical
form. Cork is also used for making life
| buoys, swimming belts, floats, non-con-
Quoting Innings, etc. 1t is moreover
used advantageously in the form of
powder for packing fragile objects, as a
9 substitute for lycopodium powder, and
| fr.r. kbn of 1inolo11xra
: cork-leather. Cork is, however, on ac-
! count of its elasticity, reduced to pow
der with great difficulty. To effect this,
mills with grinders in the shape of rasps,
, mill-stones revolving in pan, and arti-
fetal stones revolving at great speed are
: employed.
Iinoleum consists of cork powder
; consolidated with dried linseed oil. The
mixture, in the proportion of about
three parts of oil to one of cork pow
der, is passed under heavy rollers, and
! then stuck on TO cloth by means of dry
ing oil. It is allowed to dry for about
: three months, when the product is
+ ready to receive various designs, and
may be readily washed. Linoleum is
F.! adlilterated by adding sawdust to the
q cork powder. Cork leather, which i
waterproof aad very elastic, is corl
g powder consolidated with India-rubber
Cork refuse is used for making par.
titions that do not conduct heat -ol
: sound; it also yields light and porou:
. charcoal. NJ. Combe dfAlma has pro
posed to distill them, so as to obtain {
n very rich gas, free from sulphuretet
hydrogen. Old bottle corks are some
= times collected, boiled and washed IL
Q calculated water for again serving Il