TO June. 19 io. 



TJic Cork Industry in Portugal. 



381 



Manv land-owners _i;riize their own pigs in tlieir rork forests ; in othei 

 cases the grazing is leased to pig-owners, who are prepared to pay a high 

 price for the right. A curious wav of adjusting the amount of payment 

 has long been in existence. Instead of paying so much per acre, as is usual 

 in other transactions of the kind, the price is fixed at so much per pig 

 for the season, skilled adjusters being called in to decide what number of 

 pigs should be allowed to graze in a given forest area. It often happens 

 that pig-owners are prepared to pay as much as 30s. per pig for the season's 

 grazing. The pigs fed in this manner are large dark-red ones with big 

 ears and much coarse hair, reminding a good deal of the Tamworth. This 

 breed is said to ha\e come originally from Naples ; it is now many years 

 since it was first introduced. Large herds of these red pigs are to be seen 

 about the country in the acorn season, as shown in the photograph. They 

 fatten rapidly, being said to increase in weii^ht bv as much as 4^ lbs. per 



IGS IN A PORTUGUESE OAK WOOD. 



day. According to these figures, the value of the acorn crop to the country 

 would be approximately one-half of that of the cork produced. 



Establishment of a Plantation and subsequent Treatment. 



The great majoritv of existing plantations have established themselves 

 s'p>ontaneouslv. As with our Australian gums, it is only necessary to fence 

 off an area, thus protecting it from grazing, and within a couple of years 

 a young forest will have sprung up. By cutting out all other growth, one 

 obtains a forest of cork oak or of this tree mixed with Q. Ilex, as the case 

 may be. It is true that, of recent years, a good many plantations have 

 been artificiallv established. This pre.sents the advantage of rendering 

 artificial selection possible, acorns being onlv taken from trees which produce 

 the best cork. The Lande (mid-season ripening variety), is preferred. 



The seed is sown in spring, either on land which has been completely 

 or partiallv ploughed. In the latter ca.se, strips 6 feet wide are ploughed 

 at a distance of 25 feet from each other; in the centre of these the acorns 



