The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1884-05-02
Cork.

Is not marketable. because Il does not
contain any sap. which is necessary TO
retain the elasticity. Cork for indus.
trial purposes Is gained by peeling
After tree Is three years old the peel
ing may commence. but cork q that
age Is of an inferior quality, aad the
peelng would kill the tree. Trees Of
twenty years give cork Of a fair quail
ty and the quality increases until the
tree has attained the respectable age Of
one hundred or one hundred and ftty
years, when the bark becomes bard aud
unwieldy. Two circular inciSions are
made around the trunk OF the tree and
connected by perpendicular cuts al
lowing the two half circles TO be re-
moved. Care must be taken 10 not
disturb the liber or inner bark. which
keeps the tree alive. This peeling pro-
cess can be repeated ON the same tree
at intervals Of from eight 10 ten years
yielding cork plates frUm one 10 four
inches In thickness. The half round
cork pieces are pressed into plates
while still moist from the tree; then
the rough coatings are removed and the
plates are immersed in boiling water
for several minutes and pressed again
After that they are piled into bundles.
fastened together with iron hoops and
are ready for the market.
Cork was used by the aneients. and
has always been deemed OF great value
on account of its elasticity. impenetra-
oility by liquids and gasses and resist.
ance to exterior influences. No real
substitute for 1t has yet beeD discov-
cred. Wood and glass lack the impor-
TAM property of elasticity, and rubbe r
lmparIs to the liquids it is intended to
preserve, an unpleasant sulphurous
taste and musty appearance. But
the usefulness of cork is not confined
to the manufacture of shoppers for bot
ties. II is manufactured into insoles
for the protection of the feet in wet
weather, Jackets for rheumatic persons,
life preserYers on vessels, life-boats,
hats, cigar.boxes, coating for mlllstOnes
IN feed mills, layers for anvils TO pre-
vent the heavy jar, and finally the cork
shavings are used in upholstery. in the
manufacture of the color known as
Spanish black, and as non-conducting
material in the construction of Ice
houses and retrigerators. Quite re-
Gently the discovery was made that
cork shavings in the intricacies of par
titions are non conductors of noise as
well as atmospheric influences. Thus
the cork wood is one OF the productions
Of nature whose usefulness seems Inn
tied only by fire.
The manufacture OF corks by ma.
chinery is in its infancy. Until COM
paratively recent date corks were cut
by hand. and ii took an experienced
workman day to finish 1000 market
able c0rks, with great waste of mate
rial. Today. IA machine run by steam
and attended by small girl does fifty
times the amount of work with uner-
ring precision and the smallest possible
waste of material. In cutting, the
large plates of raw material Is sorted
as to thickness corresponding to
the length of the corks to be mar ufac-
tured aud placed in steam chests. where
they are rendered pliable by the moist
steam. Any rough excrescences that
may be on the outer or inner sur.
face of the plates are then removed by
steam planer which gives an even
thickness TO the plate. The latter is
then cut into strips OF width cores
ponding to the diameter of the top Of
the cork TO be obtained, and then the
cutting process begins.
Corks for the bottling Of wine or
beer are not tapered. but are cut out of
the straight strips by circular knife
run upon piston driven by steam.
The operator simply presses the strip
Of cork against the knife, which cuts
The cork out evenly and quickly aud
deposits II in a chute leading to the re-
oeptacle for finished corks. The pro-
cess is very simple and good operator
with first-class material finishes 10000
straight corks in day with ease. All
the shavings are carefully collected
and sold for the various industrial pur.
poses named. The corks are assorted
Us TO quality; those of the finest grade
TO be without any flaw, and are ready
for the market. Tapered corks mostly
for small bottles and phials, are calcu.
lated to be used oftener than once
They have to pass through second cut
ting process. Like all the work In a
modern cork-cutting establishment
that of giving conical shape to tn,
cork is done by a machine driven by
steam. The automatical cutter Is 4
rapidly revolving horizontal steel dish
running under clasp. into which tn,
straight cut cork Is inserted by band