Milk Flour. 



539 



The growing of cork is an industry of yearly increasing- 

 importance in Algeria. The cork tree 



AlS Forests° rk onl ^ b ^ comes profitable after having 

 undergone a process called " demas 

 clage," which consists in stripping the tree of its virgin 

 bark. After this operation a fresh skin grows every year, 

 and the aggregation of these annual skins, when united, form 

 the cork of commerce ; but from ten to twelve years must 

 elapse after the process of stripping before the tree produces 

 cork of a marketable value. 



The annual production of the State cork forests during the 

 past three years has ranged from 86,000 cwts. to 100,000 cwts. 



In view of the necessity which has arisen in recent years of 

 supplying the market with cork of a greater thickness than 

 was formerly in demand, the Government has instituted in 

 the State forests a minimum thickness for stripping of 25 

 millimetres (1 inch). 



[Foreign Office Report, Annual Series, No. 2,710, price 2\d.~\ 



The United States Consul at Gothenburg reports that 

 Dr. M. Ekenburg, of that city, has in- 

 Milk Flour vented an apparatus by which milk can be 

 reduced to a powder, like flour in appear- 

 ance, but possessing all the qualities of milk in concentrated 

 form, moisture excepted. This milk flour is said to be com- 

 pletely soluble in water, and can be used for all purposes for 

 which common milk is employed. It is claimed that it does not 

 get sour or ferment, and that it can be kept and transported 

 in tin cans, barrels, bags, etc. The inventor estimates the 

 cost of production at little more than is. per 100 quarts ; and 

 thinks that milk- flour from skim milk can be sold lor about 

 6hd. per lb. The invention is considered to be mainly of im- 

 portance for the utilisation of skim milk, much of which has 

 hitherto been wasted, but which can in the dry form be easily 

 transported without loss of quality. 



[U.S. Consular Reports, February.} 



