CORK 437 



the sections removed from the different trees. The stripping is done 

 entirely with a hand-axe or hatchet especially designed for the purpose. 

 The strippers are always careful not to injure the inner bark at any point, 

 because if broken or disturbed this point becomes scarred and successive 

 removals of bark are rendered much more difficult. On the old trees, 

 stripping from the larger branches is done with the assistance of ladders. 



One can always tell freshly stripped trees by the dull, red appearance 

 of the inner bark. The cambium layer turns a rich dark red shortly 

 after stripping and remains in this condition until the next year's growth. 

 This is a characteristic sight throughout the cork oak districts. 



The time of stripping varies in different parts of the cork region. 

 The general rule followed is that it should be done when the sap is run- 

 ning freely. In Andalusia, in southern Spain, it is customarily done from 

 June ist to early in September, but the busiest season is in July. The 

 operation may start early one year and the next year much later, as the 

 season varies considerably. It is said that hot weather, following a 

 good rainfall, is the most opportune time to strip the bark during the 

 removal season. 



As the strips and slabs are removed from the tree, they are piled up 

 at a convenient point in the forest and later tied in bundles and con- 

 veyed on donkey-back to the nearest shipping station or bark scraping 

 establishment. 



In Algeria and Tunis the strippers customarily use a crescent-shaped 

 saw for stripping, whereas in Spain and Portugal a hatchet with a long 

 handle, wedge-shaped at the end is the only implement used in the 

 stripping process. 



YIELD AND VALUE 



The thickness of the bark varies from ^ to 2\ in., depending upon the 

 size and age of the tree, the part of the tree, its condition, the character 

 of the soil, etc. Each tree will yield from 45 to 500 Ib. of cork, depend- 

 ing upon these same factors. 



Ordinarily the bark is allowed to season from three to eight days in 

 the forest, then it is weighed and sent to some central point to be scraped. 

 The scraping process may be done either in the forest or at the shipping 

 station. In the case of large operations, it is done at some large, central 

 manufacturing point. 



Purchases are ordinarily made on the basis of weight. Frequently 

 buyers inspect the cork on the ground and count the strips by the dozen, 



