Quercus I2 93 



acorns from Catalonia soon perished. At Nancy, var. occidentalis resists the cold of 

 ordinary winters, while the typical form always succumbs in the first winter after 

 planting. 



Distribution 



The cork oak is a native of the Mediterranean region, exclusive of the 

 Levant, and occurs in France, Spain, Portugal, Corsica, Sardinia, Italy, Sicily, 

 I stria, Dalmatia, and Albania ; and in northern Africa, in Morocco, Algeria, and 

 Tunis. It is usually found growing wild on granitic or slate soils, and is never 

 seen on limestone formations, where it is replaced by Q. Ilex. It usually either 

 forms pure and rather open woods, or is mixed with other oaks ; but on sandy soil 

 near the sea-coast is often found scattered in the forests of maritime pine. 



In France there are three regions where it flourishes and is of commercial im- 

 portance : in the Landes and in Lot-et-Garonne ; in the Pyrenees Orientates, where 

 it ascends to 1600 ft. ; and along the Mediterranean coast from Toulon to Antibes, 

 where it is confined to non-calcareous soils. In Corsica, though large woods 

 are rare, it is widely spread and covers an estimated total area of 18,000 hectares. 

 In Sardinia, nearly all the important woods, which were formerly very fine and of 

 large extent, have been destroyed, except those in the valley of Tempio, where there 

 are fine trees producing an excellent cork. The cork tree is of no great importance 

 on the mainland of Italy, though widely distributed on the western coast ; but in 

 Sicily there are extensive forests, often composed of large trees, the most notable 

 between Caltagirone and Terranova having an area of 40,000 hectares. 



In Algeria, the principal forests where this species is met with are in the 

 mountainous region close to the sea, from Dellys eastward to the Tunisian frontier, 

 where the annual rainfall exceeds 24 in. Here three species of oak occur, often 

 mixed ; but as a rule Q. Suber and Q. Mirbeckii occupy northern aspects, the former 

 growing on the slopes and crests of the mountains, and the latter in the better soil 

 in the ravines ; while Q. castanecefolia is restricted to southern slopes. In Oran and 

 the western part of the province of Algiers, the oak woods are small in extent, and 

 are mainly composed of Q. Suber, Q. Ilex, and Q. cocci/era. The total area covered 

 by the cork oak in Algeria is estimated at 426,000 hectares ; and the annual pro- 

 duction of cork, steadily increasing, amounted in 1899 to about 16,000 tons. 



In Tunis, the forests of this species occur in the north-east in the Khroumir 

 mountains, and cover about 82,000 hectares, with an annual production of cork of 

 1200 to 1500 tons. In Morocco, there are large forests in the Riff mountains between 

 Tetuan and Melilla ; and scattered smaller woods are reported in the interior, as far 

 south as Morocco and Agadir ; but up to the present these have not been utilised, 

 except in a trifling way. 



In Spain, where the woods of Q. Suber are. estimated to cover an area of 300,000 

 hectares, the most important are in Catalonia, in the hills close to the sea-coast, where 

 this species is associated with Pinus Pinea and Pinus Pinaster. There are also ex- 

 tensive forests in Estremadura, and many scattered woods throughout Andalusia. 





