46 



ON THE TRADE IN CORK BARK. 



On the 19th March, 1845, the duty on manufactured corks v. 

 abolished. The imports and value for a series of years have been 

 follows : — 



Tons. Value. 



£. 

 56,110 

 46,623 

 50,310 

 41,555 



1846 . 



. 3,400 



1847 . 



. 2,806 



1848 . 



. 3,028 



1849 . 



. 2,529 



1850 . 



. 6,358 



1851 . 



. 3,707 



1852 . 



. 3,483 



1853 . 



. 4,131 



1854 . 



. 3,849 



1855 . 



. 3,744 



1856 . 



. 4,033 



1857 . 



. 4,729 



1858 . 



. 6,579 



1859 . 



. 5,747 



1860 . 



. 4,855 



1861 . 



. 5,351 



114,508 

 128,726 

 130,058 

 152,144 

 212,322 

 ] 85,413 

 157,707 

 172,963 



In the ten years ending with 1840, the largest annual import of cork 

 from Spain, was 5,730 cwts. ; but on the average of years there have 

 been only a few hundred tons received from thence. 



In 1861, our imports were drawn as follows : from Portugal, 4,634 

 tons ; from Spain, 577 tons ; and from other countries, 140 tons. 



The duty on ready-made corks was formerly 8jd. per lb. On the 

 4th June, 1853, it was reduced to 6d. per lb., and on squared corks for 

 rounding, 16s. per cwt. On the 6th March, 1860, the duty on manu- 

 factured corks was further lowered to 3d. per lb., at which it still 

 stands. Corks are cut with the pores laterally ; bungs have them down- 

 wards ; hence, they do not keep in the liquid as well. There has been 

 a large and steady increase in the import of foreign made corks, and a 

 corresponding reduction in the price, as the following official figures will 

 show : — 



Imports of Manufactured Corks. 





Weight. 



Value. 





lbs. 



£. 



1848 . 



. 98,747 . 



. 9,891 



1849 . 



. 125,812 . 



. 12,586 



1850 . 



. 159,757 . 



. 15,989 



1851 . 



. 184,809 . 



. 18,509 



1853 . 



. 373,217 . 



— 



1854 . 



. 479,939 . 



. 47,994 



1855 . 



. 347,688 . 



. 30,423 



1856 . 



. 390,192 . 



. 34,141 



1857 . 



. 472,237 . 



. 41,329 



1858 . 



. 452,365 . 



. 33,935 



1859 . 



. 537,682 . 



. 33,605 



1860 . 



. 702,602 . 



. 38,507 



1861 . 



. . 859,884 . 



• 46,577 



