(33) 



useless, and even detrimental to the product, and the 

 closing up of the fissures so as to give a more or less uni- 

 formly coherent body. The latter result is attained by al- 

 ternately heating and beating the sheet. After this process, 

 the sheets difFer widely in their degree of the qualities which 

 give cork its value. In accordance with these differences, 

 the cork is graded in quality and assorted into classes, each 

 especially suitable for certain uses. It is then shipped to 

 the factory, where it is further trimmed and perfected in 

 preparation for use. The cutting of the cork is effected by 

 means of extremely thin and sharp circular knives, rotating 

 at high velocity. 



723". Virgin cork jacket. — The first coat of bark taken from a cork tree (Quercus 

 Suber L.) carefully removed in a single sheet. 



724. Section of wood and bark of the cork tree from the province of Grosseto, 



Italy, through the Paris Exposition of 1910. 



725. The same from Q. occidentalis J. Gay. Native of southern Europe. Same 



locality and source. 



726. Branch, with bark, of Q. Suber L. Produced in Spain. 



727. Acorns from the same. Same source. 



728. Crude sheet of bark from same. 



729. A cork picture. Made of very thin sheets of cork and representing remark- 



able skill on the part of the cutter. 



730. Fish cork. — Crude cork of low grade, boiled and certain of the outer portions 



scraped off. Used for the making of floats for fishermen's seines. 



731. Seine floats made from the preceding. 



732. Gill corks made from the same. 



733. Native-made seine float. Picked up on the beach at Virgin Gorda, West 



Indies, by N. L. Britton and W. C. Fishlock. 



734. Cork bobbins used as anglers' floats. 



735. Cork handles for fishing rods. 



736. Soda wood of common quality. Used for making the common grade of 



soda-water corks and for other rough purposes. 



737. Strips cut from the preceding, before and after punching. 



738. Taper corks of regular length, cut from the preceding. 



739. The same, of short length. 



740. Brewers' cork of ordinary quality. For cutting large corks for brewers' use. 



741. Strips cut from the preceding. 



742. Corks cut from the preceding, regular length. 



743. The same, short length. 



744. Soda wood of medium quality. 



"Unless otherwise specified, the samples in our cork exhibit are comprised in a 

 donation from the Armstrong Cork Company, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 



