Show GREAT FORESTS OF CORK home of the evergreen oak in spain and portugal the cork forests of spain cover an ax aa ia of square miles producing the finest cork in the world these forests exist in ill groups and cover wide belts of territory those in the region of catalonia and part of barcelona bein absing t considered the first in importance 4 a although the cork forests of I 1 E madura and andalusia yield cork I 1 of a much quicker growth and 10 poa rs some excellent qualities its com consistency 1 I stancy is less rigid and on this account it toes does not enjoy the high reputation which the cork of cati cata conla does in spain and portugal where the curl tree or quereau suber is in ILL It 11 genous it attains to a height vary ng t from t rom 0 35 5 tu to GO 60 feet and the trunk ro 0 a dia diameter of 30 10 to 36 ine inches lies this decies of the evergreen oak is often leI lein vily lly soil ci with vilde vicki spread n fg g bran branches clies clothed with ovate ot oh ong eveia beell le ell loaves leaves downy under tinder loath and the leave slightly serrated annually between april and may it Ho ro duces a flower of yellowish eolo color succeeded uc ceded by acorns 0 ovar v r 3 soook 0 0 0 1 11 square miles in portugal are devoted 0 the cultivation of cork trees bough the tree virtually abounds in very part of ali the country the methods in vogue 0 in barking an and d harvesting tho thi cork in spain and alid portugal tire are virtually the same tho the arking olle operation ration is when U taft 10 tree lias has acquired sufficient strength to withstand the rough handling it receives during ta this operation which takes place when it has at albed the fifteenth year of its growth after tho the first stripping ping the tree la Is left in tills this state to regenerate subsequent strip pings being bein effected at intervals interval is of not less thau than three years and under tinder this 4 the tree will continue to thrive and bear for upward of years |