Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1892-02-12
THE CORK OAK.
Gopors OF a Now and Probable Industry
for California.


for California.
Every year adds something to tho
diversity of the products OF Califor-
mia soil and climate. No fruit, flower,
shrub or tree known to the,temperate
zone that does not here find genial
abode, while semi-trQpical and even
tropical products vie with the harder
vegetation Of the colder zones in the
measure Of their lusty growth and
generous fruition. And now comes
the cork tree to the front to claim its
share of public attention rs an i'm
portant source of wealth, for future
generations, at least, in this land so
favored by nature, and so lavish in its
rich gifts to man. That will flourish
and produce its velvety bark here in
prolific perfection, the evidence of
many tall and vigorous cork oak
now growing in various localities in
the State prove beyond doubt or cavil.
That few among the earlier settlers
in California may live to see the pro.
duction Of cork as an article of man.
ufacture and commerce attain any
considerable degree of Importance
may be true; but that it has become
the boundcn duty Of present genera
tions to plant the seed that posterity
may reap the harvest, is PROPOSE
tiOn that no reasonable man will caro-
to dispute. So far, individual enter
prise has established the fact that
the cork oak (Querem S,,ber) has here
found a cOngenial home. We have
heard it stated that General Bldwell
has recently sold, in the San Fran
cisco market, Il considerable quantity
of cork bark of the finest vclyety
quality, the product of trees upon his
property at Chico. In recent visit
to lone, in Amador County, we saw
cork tree, raised from an acorn
planted thirty-two years ago by Mr..
Surface, of that town, the bark OF
which, on cutting it away, seemed
to be Of the very best quality Of "vel-
vet cork" and would no doubt COM
mand a high price in the market. 1t
would appear, therefore, that the soil
and climate Of California are better
adapted to the growth of this tree
than those Of Spain and Portugal
even; for there the first yield of cork
bark "is rough, unequal and woody i'm
texture, is called virgin cork, and is
useful only us tanning substance or
for rustic work in Conservatives, ETC."
The fact, therefore, having been dem
onstrated that the tree will grow i'm
California, and will produce rs good,
If not superior bark To that else
where found, the question presents
itself: What is the duty of the State,
through its Legislative and executive
authority, in the matter of fostering
the planting and cultivation of the
cork tree? If California is TO become
the great wine and brandy producing
country that it promises to be, the
question of the future supply of corks
to meet the demand for home con-
sumption alone become of the most
serious Importance. Moreover, the
collateral question OF creating Il new
product that is to increase the future
wealth OF the State adds largely TO the
magnitude Of the subject under con-
sideration. In the six years from
1880 to 1885. inclusive, Spain and
Portugal exported manufactured and
manufactured cork to the value of
623, G5S, 1853, besides what was used i'm
home consumption to supply the large
demand FOR wines, etc, produced in
those countries. Why should not
California take first place in the FIJI
ture in the product and manufacture
of this important article of commerce,
and so not only kecpat home the large
amount of money that will otherwise
find its way abroad in the purchase of
the foreign article, but also reap the
harvest of profit that will he derived
from It's own expectations TO supply
the always growing demand of the
world at largc?-T Argonaut.