CORK-WOOD. 173 



mouth with oil-skin, they merely introduce a little 

 tow into the neck of the bottle. In the Grecian islands 

 another method recommended by the ancients still 

 prevails. When the inhabitants do not keep their 

 wine in skins (a very general practice), they secure 

 the wooden or earthen vessels in which they put it 

 with pitch and rosin, and thus impart to it a most 

 unpalatable flavour. 



Much difference exists in the quality of cork, either 

 arising from variance of soil or of the trees them- 

 selves, or from the length of time which is allowed to 

 intervene between two successive strippings of the 

 bark. That bark which has remained the longest on 

 the tree is naturally of a coarser and harsher texture, 

 and has been more exposed to injury from the 



Eunctures of insects, but at the same time with its 

 Tigth of growth it has proportionally increased in 

 thickness, and is therefore more appropriate for 

 stoppers of large dimensions. The charring, how- 

 ever, which is then requisite to give it compactness 

 and to render it impervious to liquids, produces an 

 empyreuma which is often imparted to the fluids con- 

 fined by stoppers made of carbonised corks. Wine- 

 merchants, however careful in the selection of their 

 corks, could not wholly prevent this evil, since the 

 thickness of bark requisite to cut corks large enough 

 for quart bottles could only be obtained through 

 means which deteriorate its other qualities. A few 

 years back this objection was entirely obviated by an 

 ingenious invention. It was found that Vancouver's 

 cement would securely cause the adhesion of two 

 surfaces of cork bark when applied to each other, 

 and stoppers could therefore be cut from the united 

 thickness of two or more pieces of bark. Thus large 

 corks of a very superior quality are made of the 

 tender bark, the delicate pores of which require no 

 charring for their farther contraction; while these 



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