Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-05-17
soils are very unsuitable, and it does

soils are very unsuitable, and it does
not take kindly to damp soils. II
grows spontaneously in virgin soils
where silica or silico-argillaceous COM
pounds abound. Lands suitable for the
vine are suitable for the cork also.
The blossoms appear in April or Nav
and the acorns ripen from September.o
January. As rule these are bitter and
are not good nutritive mast for swine.
The tree bears acorns at the age of from
twelve to fifteen years, but they are not
fertile until the tree is thirty or forty
years old and bearing cork fit for bot
tie shoppers. 1t is found generally that
the tree which produces the largest and
sweetest acorns will also yield the finest
cork. A close growth and lack of light
and air cause diminution of the yield OF
acOrns and lessen the quantity as well
as impair the quality of the cork.
During its earlier years of growth the
''belt' system of planting seems to
have been very generally adopted in
France and Spain, because for several
wears, while the trees are growing slow
ly, the land can be made to produce rs
much as though they were not present.
The "belt system consists in planting
the trees in rows, with one or more
rows of vines between. The acorns and
the vines are planted at the same time.
the latter in rows seven feet apart and
the former about forty inches one from
another in flrrow between them. Tie
trees are thinned out afterward. In this
way the yield of the vines is as great as
though they were planted alone. white
the oaks receive the necessary shade
and cultivation. Until the trees are
from twenty to twenty-five years Cd
this mixed plantation is profitable
After this the trees no longer need the
vines, and these, now themselves Re-
ceiving too much shade. should be DE-
stroyed. These plantations are cultiva-
ted at the beginning and at the end Dt
the rainy season. The hoe is used 10
stir the earth. hurtful roots and wee.Is
being burned, while those that r,t
quickly are turned under, that then
ammonia may be utilized as manur,.
The most favorable season for tie
termination of the plant seems to he
that when the acorns fall naturally. in
Spain this takes place in the latter pat
of November. The meteorological ph.,-
nomena of the cork-oak region of Spain
are very similar to those of Southern
California, SO that the season of germ
mating would probably be the same
here. The young plant would receive
the benefit of the rain, its roots would
spread and it would be better fortified
against the heat of the ensuing dry se:.-
son. About the twelfth year the young
oaks should be pruned every fourth year
hereafter. After trimming out the trees
there should remain eighty to the acre.
But the tree begins to be of value
when it has attained a diameter of from
two to four inches when it is from twelve
to fifteen years old. AT the same time
the first coat of cork removed, and even
the second, is of no very great value for
shoppers. The cork should be removed
when the sap is running. Some growers
prefer to take it off when the sap is as
cending; others when it is descending.
Along the coast of Spain the latter part
of June is preferred for this operation.
because then the cork separates readily
said to have arrived at maturity when
the cork has market value. After the
first stripping the cork is removed at in
tervals of ten or twelve years. Yet, as
cork of thickness sufficient to give
shoppers for champagne bottles is the
most valuable, many growers extend
the period. In this, as in all things
else, experience is the best
guide. Many growers remove the cork
gradually. The first year all below a
height of twelve inches from the ground
is taken off, two years later all above
this and below the branches, and after
another equal period that of the branch
es. In this way the tree is less exposed
to cold while the new cork forms more
rapidly. Great care is taken not to
wound or remove the inner bark. Aft
er the removal of the cork two, some
times four, longitudinal missions, reach
ing to the inner bark, are made under
that portion of the trunk which has
been tapped. This prevents the crack
ing of the outer surface of the new cork.
Many persons will be surprised to learn
that the cork oak does not shed its cork
If not removed the outer
portion of the cork comes off in flakes,
Just as the bark of many other trees.
The color of the freshly removed cork
is rosy white, but this tint soon disap-
pears. The cork is stacked in piles.
In two months it has lost one-fifth of its
weight and is ready for market. Strip
pers receive from sixty to seventy cents
for days work. In Spain cork is
worth from one dollar and II half to two
dollars the quintal. AS the demand for
corks is increasing annually, so the
value of cork plantations increases from
year to year. Forty years ago in one
Of the departments of France the cork
plantations yielded annually a net profit |
Of twelve per cent. on their estimated |
value, and this was four times the profit
derived from forests of oak.-G. b. |
Griffin. IN Los angeles (Ca!.) Herald.