CORK. OAK. 107 



The best sort comes from Spain and Portugal ; 

 and is imported in great quantities into England, 

 where it is cut into corks for bottles, and applied 

 to many other purposes. The Spaniards cover the 

 walls of their houses with cork, like wainscoting, 

 which not only makes them warm, but very dry ; 

 and the peasantry in Spain lay broad planks of it 

 at their bed-sides, as we do carpets ; they also burn 

 it to make what is called by painters Spanish black. 

 The Egyptians formerly made coffins of cork lined 

 with resin, which preserved their dead bodies for a 

 very long time. 



Two species of Quer'cus, or Oak, grow natu- 

 rally in England, one of which, the Quer'cus ro'bur, 

 is of great value ; it is, indeed, the most valuable of 

 all our native trees. The oak attains a great size, 

 the full-grown tree sometimes measuring from fifty 

 to sixty feet round. The wood is hard and tough, 

 it takes a good polish, and, when well manufactured, 

 has a very handsome appearance. The roofs and 

 frame-work of almost all our ancient buildings 

 which are the best preserved are formed of this tim- 

 ber; and it is now always employed where strength 

 and durability are required. The crooked branches 

 of the oak are of peculiar value in building ships, 

 and there are extensive forests in England belong- 

 ing to the King, which are reserved entirely for 

 that purpose. Oak saw-dust is one of the prin- 

 cipal vegetable ingredients used in dyeing the dif- 



