CORK TREE. 
215 
provinces of France. According to this excellent 
French author, the cork tree is neither to be found 
in Sweden nor in Denmark, but flourishes abun- 
dantly in the warmer parts of France, near Con- 
dom, Nerac, and Bazas, as well as in Spain, in 
Italy, in Provence, and in Languedoc. In the hard 
winter of 1709, most of the cork trees were de- 
stroyed throughout these provinces; but the damage 
was in time repaired, and they at length became as 
numerous as before. 
The various uses to which the bark of this tree 
is applied, are too well known to need enumerating. 
The acorns, which have a sweetish taste, not only 
serve to feed hogs and poultry, but are likewise 
useful to mankind ; who, in the time of scarcity, 
have availed themselves of their aid. It is said that 
the Spaniards eat them roasted like chestnuts. 
With respect to the manner of obtaining the cork 
from this tree, we have the following account from 
M. Duhamel : 
When the trees have attained the age of twelve 
or fifteen years, they remove the bark for the first 
time ; but the cork at this barking is only fit to 
burn. Seven or eight years after it is again re- 
moved, but yet it is far from being of a good quality, 
and is only used for buoys and other common pur- 
poses. This operation is repeated when the trees 
are about thirty years old, and then the bark is 
found to be of a superior nature, and fit for all the 
purposes to which cork is applied. It should be re- 
marked, that the best bark is obtained from the old- 
