lo June. 1910.] 



Tlic Cork I iidintry in Portugal. 



379 



yielded i ton 16 cwt. of bark at a stripping, which gave work to 20 men. 

 These are of course exceptional trees of great age. 



In addition to Q. Siiber, Q. Pseudosuber and Q. Occidcuialis, are men- 

 tioned as yielding cork, the latter being the better of the twot- Q. Suber 

 appears to be the only species grown in Portugal. Their botanists dis- 

 tinguish three varieties, viz., Brevisquama, Genuina and Siibcrinata. Prac- 

 tical growers divide them according to the time of ripening of the acorns, 

 into early, medium and late, known respectively in Portuguese as Bast no,. 

 Livide and Landisco or ] aiicr'nilia. The mid-season one is preferred. 



CORK OAKS AT RIO FRIO (PORTUGAL). 



The cork oak prefers schistose and feldspathic soils, a feature whicb 

 renders it essentially suitable for many parts of Victoria, especially the- 

 auriferous countrv so largelv represented in the poorer lands of this State ; 

 wherever this tvpe of soil is sufficiently penetrable for the roots, this tree 

 will thrive. In limestone soils, it does not grow so quickly, nor is the- 

 cork produced of the same quality. It is. in poor soil that the best quality 

 cork is produced. On richer soils, growth is more rapid and the yield 

 heavier, but the grain or texture of the cork suffers. The timber of this 

 tree is not without value : it is said to be good for coachbuilding (primitive- 

 wooden carts), and ploughs. It is also an excellent firewood. If not more 

 largelv used for these purposes, it is because the trees are so long lived 

 ancl regularly productixe that they are never cut down, only dead wood and 

 rubbish, which is cut out occasionally, being available. 



The growth of the cork oak is slow, especially after a while. It is rare 

 for young plantations to have given their first crops of cork at twenty-three 

 years old. This is in addition to the crop of \irgin cork removed some- 

 eight or ten vears earlier. 



t Voii Mueller. S<-J(-<'t Extra-fropiral l^lantx. 



