OAK TREE. 301 



barked every nine or ten years ; it has an inner bark, 

 which protects it from the cold ; and the removal of the 

 cork or exterior bark is so far from injuring, that it 

 appears to be necessary to the strength and health of the 

 tree. Trees not barked seldom continue in health 

 longer than sixty years ; whereas those which are regu- 

 larly barked will retain their vigour for an hundred and 

 fifty years, or more. The best cork is from the oldest 

 trees ; that of very young trees is porous, and of little 

 value ; it is however necessary to bark trees of twelve or 

 fifteen years, for the improvement of their bark ; this is 

 repeated eight or ten years after; and after these two 

 first peelings, the bark obtained from the tree is in 

 perfection. It is taken off in the month of July. 

 The acorn of this tree is very like that of the Common 

 Oak. 



The Cork-tree is a native of the south of Europe, 

 Barbary, &c. The leaves are not sinuate like those of 

 the Common Oak ; they are about two inches long, and 

 one inch and a quarter wide, with a little down on the 

 under side. 



" The cork-trees hoar that clothe the shaggy steep." 



BYRON. 



There are several varieties, of which some shed their 

 leaves in autumn, but the most common are those which 

 are called evergreen : they do not shed them till May, 

 just before the new leaves shoot ; but at that time the 

 trees are for a short time nearly bare. 



Southey describes the appearance of Cork-trees in the 

 gleam of a traveller's fire : 



