CORK. 



heavy, it can be made into a good substi- 

 tute "for the pulleys and weights of the 

 sashes of windows. 



CORK cutting, or the manufacturing of 

 corks. This business, though it is thought 

 one of the most djrty, is not one of the 

 least profitable ; it is likewise easy in the 

 acquirement. The cork, after being press- 

 ed into square pieces, is received by the 

 cork cutters, and if not sufficiently flat 

 for their purpose, they "lay" it again 

 over a fire in their "burning-yard," turn- 

 ing the convex part to the flame ; the heat, 

 by twisting the edges of the bark, coun- 

 teracts the natural bend, and compels it 

 to receive a flat form. During this ope- 

 ration, a considerable degree of attention 

 is paid to smoothing it, and particularly 

 again to cover its defects. It is next cut 

 into slips, narrow or wide, according to 

 the intended cork, bung, or tap, for such 

 are the names of the general divisions in 

 this business. The use of the two former 

 is well known, the latter is used for stop- 

 ping the tap-holes of barrels, as the name 

 implies. These slips are again cut into 

 squares, of a length proportioned to the 

 use they are intended for. This opera- 

 tion is performed by one man, from whom 

 they are handed forward to several others. 

 A further division of corks takes place of 

 three different sorts, according to their 

 lengths, and are denominated "short," 

 short long," and "full long." The cork- 

 maker places himself before the table or 

 plank, on which is fastened a board about 

 three inches thick, four broad, and twelve 

 long : immediately on a line with his left 

 hand is a piece of wood rising about four 

 inches from the board, and fixed about the 

 middle of it, on which the cork is laid after 

 being cut as above. This wood not only 

 supports the cork, and is as a guide to the 

 workman, but by its elevation above the 

 board gives room for the knife to cut a part 

 of the cork in a smooth and circular man- 

 ner, without striking on the table below. 

 The piece is then turned to where the last 

 cut ceased, and this is continued until the 

 knife has gone completely round ; the top 

 and bottom are then pared level, and the 

 cork thrown into a box or basket with the 

 rest of the same length. As the bark is not 

 of the same quality throughout each piece, 

 the corks are sorted by a boy into four 

 kinds, "superfine," "fine," "common," 

 and " coarse," and are sold accordingly. 

 The only tool employed by the cork-cut- 

 ter is a knife about three inches broad in 

 the blade, and about six inches long, very 

 thin and sharp, and equal in breadth, from 

 VOL. IV. 



the handle nearly to the end, which is 

 finished by a gentle curve. This knife he 

 sharpens upon the board where the guard 

 is placed, by one whet or stroke on each 

 side, after every cut, and now and then 

 upon a common whetstone. 



From the foregoing review, it is evi- 

 dent that the art of a cork-cutter is prin- 

 cipally to obtain a regular, round, and 

 quick turn of the wrist, in guiding the 

 knife so as to complete a pretty correct 

 circle, and to make a smooth surface ; it 

 is on this account that the knife must be 

 particularly sharp, to enable the workman 

 to turn it with ease. Cork received into 

 the stomach, in its crude state, is very de- 

 leterious : but after it has undergone cer- 

 tain processes, it is used in medicine. It 

 contains a small quantity of very power- 

 ful acid, called suberic acid. This acid 

 may be obtained in a solid form, but is not 

 crystallizable : it is either pulverulent 

 when it has been precipitated, or when 

 obtained by evaporation is in thin irregu- 

 lar pellicles. Its taste is slightly bitter and 

 acid : dissolved in a small quantity of 

 boiling water, it is irritating to the throat, 

 and excites coughing. It reddens the 

 vegetable colours, and it attracts a little 

 humidity from the air, especially when it 

 is not perfectly pure. Exposed to heat, it 

 is volatilized, and forms crystalline flakes 

 on the sides of the vessel. Heated by the 

 blow-pipe, it first liquifies, then becomes 

 pulverulent, and lastly is sublimed, exha- 

 ling an odour of sebacic acid. It becomes 

 brown from exposure to light. At the tem- 

 perature of 60, an ounce of water dis- 

 solves ten grains of the concrete acid, but 

 if it is very pure, not more than four 

 grains. Boiling water dissolves half its 

 weight. It is not altered by oxygen gas. 

 The mineral, or the other vegetable acids, 

 have little action on it, and do not com- 

 pletely dissolve it, especially when it is 

 not quite pure. Alcohol developes in it 

 an aromatic odour. 



Suberic acid unites easily with the alka- 

 lies and earths. Its salts are named sube- 

 rates. The mineral acids in general preci- 

 pitate the suberic acid from their solu- 

 tions ; and they are decomposed by solu- 

 tions of almost all the metallic salts. 

 Suberic acid has no action on platina, 

 gold, or nickle ; but it forms .salts with 

 the greater number of the other metals. 

 In general, these salts do not crystallize, 

 and they have a tendency to form with an 

 excess of acid. Its action on some metal- 

 lic solutions give some appearances which 

 may serve to distinguish it. It deconr- 



I 



