188 



POPULAR ECOKOMIC BOTANY. 



to the ancients, and was commented upon by Dioscorides. 

 Besides the bark of Q. pedunctilataj that of other species 

 of oak not distinguishable as bark is mixed and used indis- 

 criminately ; particularly that of Q. sessiliflora. Much oak- 

 bark is of course furnished from our own forests, but a 

 prodigious quantity is also exported from the continent of 

 Europe, chiefly from the ports of Holland and Belgium ; 

 the foreign article is cut into small pieces about three inches 

 in length. In 1852 we received 19,034 tons, and the 

 home produce was 150,000 tons ; this however probably 

 embraced a large proportion of tlie bark of the Larch 

 {Finns Larixj Nat. Ord. Finaceci), which is also of great 

 value, being only inferior to the oak. 



CoEK-TREE Bark — Qiierciis Sufjer, — The bark of the 

 cork oak, w^hen young, that is, about twelve years of age, is of 

 no use for the ordinary purposes to which cork is applied ; 

 but its removal, if performed with proper care, rather tends 

 to the fnture vigour of the tree and improves its cork- 

 bearing qualities. The young bark so removed is imported 

 to this country for tanning purposes under the above name ; 

 it usually comes from Eabat, in pieces about a foot in 

 length, shaped very irregularly. We receive about three or 

 four hundred tons annually. 



