Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-31
Bon
Ami
The Finest Cleaner Made
Contains no alkali and will
not chap or redden the hands.
CORK.
Facts About an Important Article in Dali
U.e.

interesting question:, however, is as 10
where they come from.
Spain and Portugal furnish corks to
the world. The cork forests of Spain
cover an area Of 60 600 square acres,
producing the finest cork in the world.
These forests exist in belts and cover
wide belts of territory, those in the
region of Catalonia and part of BARGE
Iona being considered the first in i'm
portancc. Although the cork forests of
t.stremadure ard Andalusia yield cork
of Il much quicker growth. and posse S.
ing some excellent qualities. its consis-
tency Is less rigid, and on this account
it does not enjoy the high reputation in
the open market which the cork of
Catalonia does
In spain and Portugal. where the COZ X
:rcn. or Quercas Suber, is Indigenous. it
attains a height varying from IS to GO
feet and the trunk to a diameter of 30
To 3G inches. This species of the ever
green oak is often heavily caparisoned
with widespreading branches, clothed
with ovate oblong evergreen leaves.
downy underneath, and the edges
slightly serratcd Annually, between
April and May, it produces a flower of
acornr. These when ripe in the
autumn serve as an article of food, re-
scmbling chestnutS in taste.
over 30.000 cquarc miles in Portugal
are devoted to the cultivation Of cork
trees. though the tree virtually abounds
in every part of the country.
The method in vogue in barking and
harvesting the cork in Spain and POrtu-
gal are virtually the same. The barking
operation is effected when the tree has
acquired sufficient strength to with
stand the rough handling 1t receives
during the operation. which takes place
when it has attained the 18th year OF
its growth. After the first stripping
the tree is left in this iuvenescent
state to regencrate, subsequent strip
pings being effected at intervals of not
less than three years: and under this
process the tree will continue to thrive
and bear for upward of $50 years If
the bark is not removed artificially it
VIII on maturity split and dismantla
itself This is caused by the fresh
growth of bark forming underneath.
The bark of the cork oak is composed
of two distinct concentric layers-an
inner sheet, which is the active part
of the bark. and corresponds with The
liber of other trees. and a thicker
outer zone. composed of light compress
sible. spongy substance. only slightly
permeable TO liquids, and constituting
the cork proper. Whenever on the body
of the three the inner sheet. or moth
err bark, is destroyed. no further
formation of bark or wood takes place.
and even narrow deCortication clear
around the tree would cause it most
certainly To perish. The other coat, Or
cork, is inert. and does not contribute
to the active functions of vegetation.
and this explains how ii is possible to
strip the cork oak of its corky envelope
without endangcring the existence Of
the tree.
The bark is stripped from the tree in
pieces two or three inches in thickness.
of considerable length, and of such
width as to retain the curved form of
the trunk whence it has been stripped.
The bark peeler or cutter makes a slit
in the bark with knife perpendicular
ly from the top of the trunk to the bot
tom; he makes another inois on parallel
to and at some distance from the for
mer. and two short horizontal cuts at
the top and bottom. For stripping off
the piece thus isolated, he uses q kind
of knife with two handles and a curved
| blade. Sometimes, after two cuts have.
| been made. he leaves the tree to throw
| off the bark by spontaneous action OF
| the vegetation within the trunk
( The first process through which the
| bark passes after stripping is that Of
| boiling. This is sometimes done in the
woods. but more frequently in the cork
: factory. in large. specially constructed
| caudrons. in which the bark is left to
boil for upward of an hour, causing an
| increase of thickness generally of one
fourth to one-fifth), elasticity of the
cork and dissolution of the tannin and
| other substances. The caulLrons in
which the cork is boiled are of copper
The boiling Of the cork can also be ef-
fected by steam. for which purpose it Is
|introduc, d into wooden box lined with
copper or zinc. which is filled with
water and steam injected therein. The
steaming of cork sometimes hardens II
and makes it brittle. The loss OF
weight effected by boiling the corl
varies between II and 40 per cent.
In making, corks it is necessary to TAX
away the hard crust OF raspa. for which
a tool is used with short handle an,
curved blade. Scraping machines are ais
used. two systems being employed-th
BessOn and ToUsseau. The former pro
PEELED by steam. consists principally O
horizontal spindlcs supplied with comb
like teeth. and turning at the rate of 81
revolutions a minute. The Toussea-
scraper attacks the cork by means Of
vertical iron shaft carrying severa
knives. whose edges are also vertical, am
by a rotary movement of the shaft, Civ
ing 400 turns minute, work like
brush
Before cutting the slabs into strips the
are cooked Tor about half an hour, so a
TO facilitate the cutting. and piled up 500
Iaf:erward in a damp place so as to pre-
iserve the softncss until ready to operat
upon. The slabs are divided into tire
strips the width of which is equal to tn
'length OF the corks. and in such Il wa
that. II. the cork be placed in the position
occupied by the slab on the tree the,
would have their fibres running alike. Tn
| wCrkmen cut the strips by means of
knife with fat surface and curved edge
called cuchila de rabanar. The strip
are then made into squares by means o
the cuchilla. They then have the edge
cut. and are ready to be made into corlss
| The squares pass into the hands of
workman who is furnished with knit
composed of two pieces-one of them sim
liar 10 an ordinary knife. and the other
blade the edge of which fits into the first
He holds the knife by a small iron catc
to the table in front of him. and eivin
the square n circular movement the re
suit is that a cork is made in a few sec
onds The squares are usually boiled TO
| about 4 quarter of an hour. They ar
then deposited in a cool place. and. fou
or five days afterward, they are sorte
and kept damp until required,
corks, and all consist. at the base. of
tn;fo the blade of which Is placed hOrI