25 



thickness, the end of which requires to be cut to the shape of a wedge. 

 A ring is cut with the axe round the foot and top of the trunk of the 

 tree, and then straight lines are cut along the whole trunk at a distance 

 from each other of about two feet, so as to connect the two rings ; this 

 done the wedge is inserted in the straight line towards either the top 

 or the bottom ring, and the cork- wood is gently pressed off. In the 

 case of a small tree, say, of one foot diameter, with much care it will 

 coma off in one piece. 



" The tree also produces cork on its branches, which may be stripped 

 in the same way whenever they (the branches) reach one foot in diameter. 

 After the tree is stripped nothing is to be done to it. When the cork- 

 wood is taken off the under bark is of the colour of the human skin, 

 but gradually gets darker until it becomes the colour of chocolate, and 

 sometimes of dark lead. No sooner is the tree stripped of the cork- 

 wood than it again puts forth its functions to acquire a new inner bark and 

 form a new covering of cork. The cork (Epiphloeuin) is formed between 

 this new and the old bark, and takes from six to ten years before it is ready 

 again for stripping, that is, until it reaches the thickness of about an 

 inch. By examining the head of a common wine cork, lines are dis- 

 tinctly visible, between each of these lines indicates one j^ear's growth. 

 The older the trees are the better the cork gets ; being of slower growth 

 it is less spongy, and firmer in texture than that procured from young 

 trees. 



' ' The Cork Tree grows to a large size, and like the English oak is a 

 long liver. Cases have been known where one tree, including its 

 branches, has yielded nearly half a ton of cork- wood. 



" In Spain and Portugal the cork forests have been planted. The 

 acorns, so soon as they drop from the trees, begin to sprout ; they 

 should be put in the ground as soon as they fall. The young trees do 

 not like transplanting. 



" After the second and following crops of cork-wood are stripped from 

 the trees the sheets or planks of cork ought to be laid on the ground for 

 about a week or so, bark upwards, as if the inside is exposed to a hot 

 sun for the first few days after stripped it is likely to curl and crack 

 when straightened. Up to some 40 years ago all cork- wood was subjected 

 to fire within a week or two after stripping. The object of this was to burn 

 off the outer bark (Epidermis) and soften the texture, but of late years 

 it has been submitted to a steaming process which softens the cork and 

 improves the texture. The bark is then scraped off with a tool almost 

 similar to a three-cornered ship's scraper ; this done, the cork is faced, 

 sorted into different qualities, and packed in bundles ; it is then ready 

 for the market. The firm of Thomas Reynolds and Sons, in their 

 several manufactories in Spain and Portugal, during the height of the 

 season, had occasionally in their employ between 1200 and 1500 hands. 



"The value of cork- wood varies very considerably, ranging from about 

 £8 to £150 per ton. The best description is obtained chiefly from the 

 forests in Spain and the south of France. That obtained from Portugal 

 is of quicker growth, and consequently more spongy. The quantity 

 obtained from Sicily and Africa some 21 years ago was very trifling ; 

 the quality, however, was good. Of late years the duty on made corks 

 has been taken off in England, consequently, large manufactories have 

 been established in France, Spain, and Portugal for supplying England 

 with the corks instead of the cork-wood." 



On discussion several members expressed a doubt if a tree which re- 

 quired a growth of 25 to 30 years before becoming useful could or would 

 be planted with a view to profit. On the other har(^. {*■•. is to be re- 

 collected that after the first returns are obtained the process of stripping 



