Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-12
GAS FROM CORK
Why Import 100000 Worth Of Bark
That Gan be Grown Here?
The Department OF Agriculture Adj
vocates the Planting of Cork Forest.
Uses to Which the Bark is Put,

Inc department OF Agriculture Will issue
a bulletin before long on the subject Of
cork. 1t Will advocate the culture Of cork
trees in this country, urging that forests
Of this species Of oak could be established
with great profit In the southern states.
Statistics show that 100000 worth Of
cork is imported into the United States
annually. 1t is steadily increasing in value
fetching now eleven times the price that
was paid for it in 1870. The soil Of Cali
fornia is particularly well adapted to the
cork oak. which grows there with greater
rapldity than in Europe. Already about
LOCO Of the trees have been planted in
the San Gabriel valley. The University of
California has distributed several bushels
of the acorns. which, by the way, are very
good to eat. tasting like chestnuts
Various Uses for Cork.
The variety Of uses to which cork Is put
Is extraordinary. To the Algerians it is as
great a necessity IS the agave to the Mexi-
can or the palm to the Arab. From 1t
he makes boats, furniture, saddles. shoes,
horseshoes and even clothing. Other en-
pigments for the material in southern
Europe are for roofing, pals, clothes, win
dow lights, plates tubs, drinking vessels,
religious images, fences and collins. The
waste cork from the cutting Of bottle stop
pers is utilized for filling cushions and mat
tresses. and in the manufacture of cork dust
bricks. which are serviceable where great
dryness is required. very fine kind of
pasteboard Is made from cork, the ground
substance being mixed with paper pulp and
pressed to squeeze out the water. Cork
waste Is also used for making lifeboats,
buoys Hnoleum. inner soles for shoes. arti-
fetal legs and arms, cork concrete" and
many other articles in which lightness and
elasticity ere required
The Industry
Though Of modern origin, the cork in
dustry has attained immense Importance.
In the last half century the production has
more than doubled. About $1,000, 600 worth
of prepared cork. representing $751; GOO hun
dredweight, was sold last year. Portugal
occupies the first place as a producer, while
the United States, England and Germany
are the principal consumers. Spain exports
vast quantities of manufactured cork for
bottles. In this industry, as well as in the
quality Of the product. she surpasses all
other countries. The world consumes an
nually 7.000,OO0000 cut corks. The sizes
aid forms of these are regulated according
to 15O models.
Nowadays bicycle handles, life preserv-
ers and hat Innings are made Of cork. The
material is burned for making Spanish
black The waste is utilized for lining ice
houses, being an excellent non-conductor,
and also for packing grapes. Notwith-
standing all the uses for cork waste that
nave been mentioned. great quantities of it
nave to be thrown away for lack of pur-
poses to which to apply it. Cork dust is
made to serve as a substitute for rice
powder in the toilet. Tons of cork are
manufactured every year into nose-holders
for eyeglasses. For these the very finest
quality is required. The inventor of this
particular use for cork has made a big for
tune out Of the idea He gets a royalty on
every pair of eyeglasses thus made that is
sold.
Corks for Champagne Bottles.
Champagne corks consume the bulk of
the finest cork that reaches the market
They cost a cent apiece wholesale. This is
because they have to be cut by hand Or
binary cork that is intended to be cut by
machinery Is first softened by steam, so
that it may not take the edges off the re-
volving knives Cork thus treated does
Well enough for common purposes, but it
has lost its elasticity. and does not make
shoppers tight enough for champagne. The
cutting Of cork by hand is a trade requir-
ing much skill and long experience. The
knives employed are so quickly dulled that
they have to be sharpened constantly by
the cork cutter as he works. The great
champagne houses often engage the en-
tire output of cork-cutting establishments
in Spain and Portugal
Cork trees are raised from seed usually,
the large and sweet acorns producing the
biggest trees and the finest cork. Small
and bitter acorns produce coarse and in
feror trees. The bark product of full
grown trees Is about eighteen pounds,
worth five cents a pound. The cork Of
commerce is not a natural product of the
tree. but an alb normal development of the
bark under certain treatment. Natural
cork Is useless for purposes of manufac-
ture being too coarse. Sometimes 1t is so
woody and dense that it will not float. The
wild cork or outer layer of the natural
bark is removed when the tree reaches a
diameter of six inches or so. leaving the
interior denser and softer cork layer. The
latter is called lard" or mother cork"
and from 1t the cork of commerce devel-
ops.
The bark is first placed in long. rectangu-
lar vessels and boiled The boiling closes
the pores, increases its elasticity, and rem
ders 1t more supple and compact. Its spe-
ciflc weight is reduced while it's volume Is
almost doubled. Next the slabs are
scraped to remove all the wood fiber. After
this operation they go to a workman who
trims them to proper shape and sorts them
into grades suitable for different purposes