CORK. 663 



For this purpose, the shoots are steamed, and the bark 

 stripped from them and placed in water-tanks till all tissues 

 except the bast-fibres have rotted. The cellulose is washed in 

 water, finely divided and separated by fine sieves made of 

 split bamboos, so that it forms a thin layer on the sieve. 

 After the water has drained away, the thin sheets of paper 

 are taken off the sieves and laid on planks to dry. Owing to 

 this method of preparation, the cellulose fibres lie alongside of 

 one another in the direction of the lines of meshes in the 

 sieve, so that Japanese paper can be torn straight only in one 

 direction and differs thus from paper made of wood or rags. 

 The manufacture of this bark-paper is very important, for in 

 Japan, paper is employed frequently in place of woven materials. 



Species of limes contain useful cellulose in their bark, for 

 the hard bast-bundles are grouped there tangentially, and 

 a zone of bundles is formed yearly. As the soft bast lies 

 between these bundles, they can be torn in strips from the 

 bark. In order to obtain pure lime-bast, the bark must be 

 macerated in water, till the softer tissues rot and the bast- 

 bundles alone remain. 



In central France, especially in Chantilly, there are lime- 

 coppices for supplying bast, with rotations of 15 to 25 years. 

 Also, in Russia, the lime is utilised for bast, which is stripped 

 from the trees. It is made into coarsely woven material, into 

 sacks, mats, protection coverings, etc., and is used also for 

 binding, but for this purpose raffia-fibre is more suitable. 



Species of elms also contain utilisable fibre. 



SECTION X. CORK.* 



It has been stated already that cork is formed by a meristem, 

 the cork-cambium or phellogen, but that for most woody 

 species the cork is very thin and is soon displaced by rough 

 bark, rhitidome. Only in very few species does cork attain 

 a considerable thickness, by annual formations, resembling 

 annual zones of wood. Where cork is only in ridges or 

 prominences on the shoots or stem of a plant, its only use is 

 ornamental (cork -elm, field-maple, Xanthoxylon, etc). When it 



* Boppe, "Cours de technologic forestiere," 1887. Mathey, "Exploitation 

 oommerciale dcs hois." 



