,illustration3 ,,cork ,,its ,,origins ,,uses ,copyright1 #aiji by ,,armstrong ,,cork ,,company ,,pittsburgh ,u4 ,s4 ,a4 ,cork ,being the ,story of the origin of ,cork1 the processes employed in its manufacture its varied uses in the world to-day #aiji ,armstrong ,cork ,company of ,pittsburgh ,u4,s4,a4 ,illustration3 ,a ,monarch of the ,cork ,forest ,illustration3 ,,cork ,few things in general use in the great world to-day have the hall-mark of approval of two thousand years set upon them4 ,new materials1 new processes1 new commodities have followed the train of advancing civilization and the ensuing multiplication and alteration of man's economic needs4 ,even where the demand for a certain material to fulfill a particular function has continued through the centuries1 widening knowledge of natural resources coupled with modern invention has usually found some substitute cheaper1 more efficient1 and better adapted for the purpose in question4 ,not so with cork4 ,recognized by the ancients as peculiarly suited for certain uses1 time has vindicated their verdict2 nothing has yet been discovered to supplant it in its wide sphere of usefulness4 ,theophrastus1 ,greek philosopher and writer on botany1 who flourished in the fourth century before ,christ1 was evidently familiar with the material1 for he mentions the cork tree as being a native of the ,pyrenees4 ,for decades before the time of ,horace cork was used for stoppers for wine vessels4 ,in fact1 the poet tells one of his friends1 about #be ,b4 ,c41 that on the occasion of a coming anniversary banquet he expects to 8remove the cork sealed with pitch0 from a jar of the rare vintage of forty-six years previous1 the first but not the last proceeding of this character of which history makes record4 ,illustration3 ,gnarled ,trunk of an ,old ,cork ,oak ,it remained for the elder ,pliny1 however1 in his wonderful work on natural history1 written in the first century of the ,christian era1 to make the most remarkable reference to cork to be found in ancient literature3 8,the cork oak is but a very small tree and its acorns of the very worst quality 99 99 992 the bark is its only useful product1 being remarkably thick1 and if removed will grow again 99 99 994 ,this substance is employed more particularly attached as a buoy to the ropes of ships' anchors and the drag-nets of fishermen2 it is used also for the bungs of casks and as a material for the winter shoes of women40 ,cork jackets--life-preservers--are mentioned by ,plutarch4 ,thus five of the principal functions which cork fills in the world to-day were recognized two thousand years ago4 ,in the fifteenth century glass bottles were introduced1 which gave such great impetus to its general use that the real beginning of the cork industry may properly be said to date from that period4 ,some conception of its importance to-day may be gathered from the fact that the importations of the ,united ,states of crude and manufactured cork now aggregate almost #e1jjj1jjj in value annually4 ,illustration3 ,cork ,strippers' ,camp ,illustration3 ,stripping the ,trees ,illustration3 ,gathering the ,bark ,illustration3 ,cork ,tree's ,foliage ,the word cork is derived from the ,latin cortex1 meaning bark1 and the study of its origin and manufacture leads at once to those romantic countries bordering the ,mediterranean ,sea4 ,spain and ,portugal divide honors among the nations of the world so far as yield of raw material is concerned1 with perhaps the advantage leaning slightly to the latter4 ,the cork-producing territory covers practically the whole of ,portugal1 sweeps toward the east through the southern districts of ,spain known as ,andalusia and ,estremadura1 thence northeast1 embracing thousands of acres of forests in ,catalonia4 ,algeria1 with ,tunis1 ranks next in importance in yearly tribute of bark1 southern ,france1 including ,corsica1 following closely after4 ,italy1 too1 with the help of ,sardinia and ,sicily1 continues to be quite a factor in meeting the demand for the crude material1 while across the ,strait of ,gibraltar the sun-scorched forests of ,morocco are as yet undeveloped4 ,the total area covered by cork forests is estimated at from four to five million acres1 while the annual production of bark is declared to be not far from fifty thousand tons4 ,although no official statistics are obtainable1 these figures approximate the truth4 ,in ,portugal and ,spain1 particularly in ,catalonia1 which is probably the greatest cork manufacturing district in the world1 a large portion of the corkwood produced goes to supply domestic factories1 where more and more machinery is being introduced every year4 ,with these exceptions1 however1 the major part of the yield is exported to the ,united ,states1 ,england1 ,france1 ,germany1 ,austria1 ,russia1 ,denmark1 or ,sweden1 to be turned into finished form4 ,illustration3 ,pile of ,bark in the ,forest ,illustration3 ,weighing ,bark in the ,forest ,the cork oak1 known botanically as ,quercus suber1 attains a height of from twenty to sixty feet and measures sometimes as much as four feet in diameter4 ,its wide-spreading branches are rather closely covered with small evergreen leaves1 thick1 glossy1 slightly serrated1 and downy underneath4 ,in ,april or ,may flowers of a yellowish color appear1 succeeded by acorns which ripen and fall to the ground in the late fall4 ,pliny evidently knew whereof he wrote1 for the cork oak's acorns are bitter and not at all pleasant to the taste4 ,they form1 however1 one of the forests' chief sources of revenue1 since1 fed to swine1 they give a peculiarly piquant flavor to the meat1 ,spanish mountain hams being noted for their excellence4 ,unfortunately1 the herds in foraging for food destroy the young trees and thus do serious and permanent injury by preventing new growth4 ,illustration3 ,virgin ,cork and ,second ,stripping ,bark ,illustration3 ,cork ,bark1 8,back0 and 8,belly0 ,the 8corkwood10 or cork of commerce1 is the outer bark of the cork oak4 ,when it has attained a diameter of approximately five inches1 or1 to be more exact1 measures forty centimeters in circumference according to the ,spanish governmental regulations1 which the tree does usually by the time it is twenty years old1 the virgin cork1 as the first stripping of bark is called1 is removed4 ,this virgin cork is so rough1 coarse1 and dense in texture that it is of very little commercial value4 ,fortunately its removal does not kill the tree1 but1 on the other hand1 seems to promote further development1 for the inner bark--the seat of the growing processes--undertakes at once the formation of a new covering of finer texture4 ,each year this1 the real skin1 with its life-giving sap1 forms two layers of cells--one within1 increasing the diameter of the trunk2 the other without1 adding thickness to the sheathing of bark4 ,after eight or ten years this is also removed1 and1 while more valuable than the virgin cork1 it is not as fine in quality as that of the third and subsequent strippings1 which follow at regular intervals of about nine years4 ,at the age of about forty years the oak begins to yield its best bark1 continuing productive as a rule for almost a century1 although cork trees several hundred years old are not unknown4 ,flourishing as it does in a hot1 semi-arid climate1 there seems to be no reason why this valuable tree should not be successfully introduced in the southern and southwestern sections of the ,united ,states2 in fact1 in the year #aheh the ,united ,states ,government took certain steps in this direction1 and even went so far as to distribute seedlings to interested persons in several states4 ,the ,civil ,war interfered1 however1 and the experiments were never fully carried out4 ,illustration3 ,preparing ,bark for ,carriage to the ,boiling ,station ,illustration3 ,cork under the ,microscope ,illustration3 ,bark arriving at a ,boiling ,station ,illustration3 ,the ,common ,carrier ,illustration3 ,a ,boiling ,station ,illustration3 ,a ,wagon ,load of ,bark ,the stripping generally takes place during ,july and ,august1 and is a process which demands skill and care if injury to the tree is to be avoided4 ,in ,algeria1 the ,french strippers sometimes use crescent-shaped saws2 but under the usual ,spanish method a hatchet with a long handle1 wedge-shaped at the end1 is the only implement employed4 ,the bark is cut clear through around the base of the tree and a similar incision is made around the trunk just below the spring of the main branches2 the two incisions are then connected by one or two longitudinal cuts1 following so far as possible the deepest of the natural cracks in the bark4 ,inserting the wedge-shaped handle1 the tree's covering is then pried off1 care being taken not to injure the inner skin at any stage of the process1 for the life of the tree depends on its proper preservation2 and if it is injured at any point1 growth there ceases and the spot remains forever afterward scarred and uncovered4 ,the larger branches are stripped in the same manner1 yielding thinner but generally a finer grade of cork than that from the trunk4 ,the thickness of the bark is anywhere from one-half to two and a half inches1 while the yield also varies greatly--from forty-five to five hundred pounds--depending on the size and age of the tree4 ,as the bark is removed it is gathered up in piles and left for a few days to dry4 ,having been weighed1 it is next carried either in wagons or on the backs of burros to the boiling stations1 where it is stacked and allowed to season for a few weeks4 ,it is then ready for the boiling process1 which at times is postponed until the crude material reaches ,seville or some other shipping point4 ,but if the forest is distant1 the water supply adequate1 and the quantity of bark ample to justify such procedure1 the vats are erected at a convenient spot and this operation carried out on the ground4 ,the outside of the bark in its natural state is1 as may well be imagined1 rough and woody1 owing to exposure to the weather4 ,after boiling1 this useless outer coating is readily scraped off1 thereby reducing the weight of the material almost twenty per cent4 ,the boiling process also serves to remove the tannic acid1 increases the volume and elasticity of the bark1 renders it soft and pliable1 and flattens it out for convenient packing4 ,illustration3 ,factory at ,seville1 covering ,twenty ,acres ,illustration ,illustration3 ,trimming the ,sheets of ,bark at ,seville ,illustration ,illustration3 ,corner of ,one of the ,sorting ,rooms at ,seville ,after being roughly sorted as to quality and thickness the bark is then ready for its first long journey1 and1 as the forests are generally located in hilly or even mountainous country1 the faithful burro must again be called into service4 ,truly the ,spaniard's best friend1 though the worst treated of all1 these patient little animals present a most grotesque appearance when loaded from head to hind quarters with a huge mass of the light bark4 ,down from the hills they go in trains of thirty1 forty1 or even a hundred1 threading the rocky bridle paths in single file and wending their way through the narrow streets of quaint villages1 where traces of ,moorish occupancy may still be seen1 to the nearest railway station1 or even to ,seville itself4 ,of course1 if conditions permit1 wagons are used1 but since ,spain is not a country famous for its good roads1 it is probable that for many years to come the burro will play his part in supplying the cork markets of the world4 ,illustration3 ,baling ,corkwood at ,seville ,illustration ,illustration3 ,one of the ,corkwood ,warehouses1 ,seville ,plant ,illustration3 ,the ,giralda1 ,seville ,although large supplies of raw material are drawn from ,portugal1 the principal foreign warehouse and ,spanish factory of the ,armstrong ,cork ,company are situated in ,seville2 hence it is to that historic city on the banks of the ,guadalquivir that the bark from many hills and valleys finds its way during the summer months4 ,there the bales as they come from the country are opened1 the bark boiled and scraped1 if this has not already been done1 and then1 after the edges have been trimmed1 is sorted into a dozen or more grades of different quality and thickness4 ,the importance of this last mentioned operation cannot be overemphasized1 as the whole problem of the successful and economical manufacture of cork centers about it4 ,the expert ,spanish sorters having finished their work1 the bark is ready to be rebaled for shipment to ,america4 ,broad sheets are placed in a baling box to form the bottom of the bale1 and above them are laid smaller pieces1 which are covered in turn with larger sections2 then the whole mass is subjected to pressure to render it compact1 afterward being bound up securely with steel hoops or wire4 ,each bale is carefully stenciled with marks indicating grade or quality4 ,loaded directly into ocean-going steamers alongside the ,seville docks1 not infrequently a whole ship's cargo of cork at a time is transported to ,philadelphia1 ,new ,york1 or ,baltimore1 and thence freighted to the ,pittsburgh factory4 ,illustration3 ,the ,wharf at ,seville4 ,loading ,bales of ,corkwood for ,america ,illustration3 ,bale of ,corkwood ,illustration3 ,spaniards cutting ,bark into ,strips and ,squares ,illustration3 ,cutting ,corks by ,hand ,illustration3 ,the ,factory at ,pittsburgh ,from the mountain of cork unloaded at its doors a host of different articles are produced by means of wonderfully ingenious machinery coupled with hundreds of keen brains1 for the human element must always play a large part in cork manufacture4 ,among them corks rank first in importance2 hence the greater part of the floor space of this factory1 the largest of its kind in the world1 is given over to their production4 ,illustration3 ,slicing into ,strips ,illustration3 ,bales of ,cork being unloaded at ,pittsburgh ,for whatever purpose it is to be used1 all bark removed from the immense storage rooms is taken first to the sorting department1 where1 under skilled eyes1 the twenty-five or more foreign grades are resorted into approximately one hundred and fifty different classes1 according to quality and thickness4 ,the speed and skill with which this work is done is astounding4 ,so slight is the difference between some of the grades that to the inexperienced eye none can be seen whatever1 and yet success hinges on the care and skill exercised in this and the other sortings that follow4 ,illustration3 ,corks punched from ,strips ,illustration3 ,one of the ,fourteen ,storage ,rooms1 ,pittsburgh ,factory ,illustration3 ,cork ,punchings ,illustration3 ,one of the ,corkwood ,sorting ,rooms at ,pittsburgh ,illustration3 ,cutting into ,squares ,in manufacturing corks it must be understood in the first place that the thickness of a given piece of bark determines the maximum diameter of the stopper which can be made from it1 as the cutting is done across and not with the grain4 ,leaving the sorting room the corkwood is softened by placing it in a warm vapor bath4 ,this process increases its flexibility greatly1 its bulk slightly1 and prepares it to undergo the various mechanical operations which follow in rapid succession4 ,the keen edge of the slicer first confronts the sheets of bark1 and it is at this point that the first mechanical obstacle in cork manufacture has to be overcome1 for the soft1 light1 elastic material is1 withal1 very difficult to cut1 as may be determined by simple personal experiment4 ,but before the onslaught of a circular steel knife1 revolving hundreds of revolutions every minute and kept at razor-like sharpness1 even this difficulty disappears1 and the sheets are readily cut into strips whose width is determined by the length of the cork desired4 ,from the slicer the strips pass to the blocking machines1 where1 by means of a rapidly rotating tubular punch1 cylindrical pieces are bored out and released with almost incredible speed4 ,the operative1 of course1 must use care to avoid defective spots in the bark1 and also to cut the corks out as closely together as possible so as to reduce waste to a minimum4 ,the stoppers which come from these machines are round with parallel sides4 ,if tapered corks are desired1 larger at the upper end than at the lower1 the cylindrical or 8straight0 pieces must be passed through another machine1 which handles them deftly1 holding them against the edge of another circular knife4 ,seemingly motionless1 the only outward indication of the speed with which the keen blade is revolving is the delicate shaving which curls upward for an instant1 only to be drawn away through pipes by powerful air-suction to the mill building a hundred yards distant1 where all such waste is ground up1 to be disposed of in the form of various by-products4 ,both 8straights0 and 8tapers0 next journey to the washing rooms4 ,there dumped in great vats1 thousands at a time1 they are carefully washed and then dried by being whirled about dizzily in great revolving cylinders of wire net located in heated chambers4 ,illustration3 ,blocking ,department at ,pittsburgh ,illustration3 ,cork ,insoles ,illustration3 ,making ,tapered ,corks at ,pittsburgh ,illustration3 ,washers and ,gaskets ,illustration3 ,a ,glimpse of ,another ,department1 ,pittsburgh ,factory ,illustration3 ,cork ,balls ,not all of the bark1 however1 that is destined to be turned into corks follows the course that has just been described2 for certain varieties a different process of manufacture1 approximating in many respects the original ,spanish method1 is found more practicable4 ,the crude bark1 after being sorted1 is cut into strips on the slicing machines1 the width as before depending on the length of the stopper to be made4 ,to remove the rest of the hard back1 or outer crust1 much of which still remains despite the scraping before shipment to ,america1 the pieces are then passed beneath a revolving knife which shaves off the rough1 uneven portion4 ,free now from objectionable matter1 the strips are cut into small rectangular blocks of the dimensions of the cork desired4 ,in this process1 just as in blocking1 care must be taken to avoid defects in the bark1 and at the same time to prevent waste4 ,passing to another department the rectangular pieces are rounded into proper shape4 ,illustration3 ,sorting ,tapered ,corks at ,pittsburgh ,factory ,illustration3 ,cork ,polishing ,wheels ,in ,spain1 before the days of large cork factories employing labor saving machinery1 and even to a great extent at the present time1 all of these operations are carried out by hand4 ,whole families participate1 slicing the bark into strips1 then into squares1 and finally cutting the corks from the square blocks slowly and laboriously4 ,this hand method of manufacture is gradually disappearing as more and more machinery comes into general use4 ,what are known as hand cut corks are stoppers which are not exactly round1 but of a shape which might be appropriately described as a 8square circle40 ,in the judgment of some1 they are better suited for certain purposes than straights or tapers4 ,illustration3 ,packing ,department at ,pittsburgh ,illustration3 ,cork ,paper ,illustration3 ,putting ,final ,touches on ,life-,preservers ,illustration3 ,seine and ,gill ,corks ,from the driers all corks are taken to the sorting rooms1 where they are subjected to the last of the actual manufacturing processes1 and1 from many standpoints1 the most interesting of all4 ,here1 again1 the importance of proper grading is paramount1 and when one considers that almost five million corks pour into this department every working day1 the magnitude of the task can be partly grasped4 ,when the further fact is known that this enormous output is to be sorted into about twenty regular besides numerous special grades1 one can still further appreciate what the problem involves4 ,the work itself calls for such a peculiar combination of faculties that only one out of every five operatives who are given preliminary training in this department is found satisfactory2 but so highly skilled do the regular workers become that the sorting of thirty-five thousand corks may be considered an average day's labor4 ,experts exercise careful supervision and actually test each lot of corks as they come from the operatives in order that uniform standards may be maintained from day to day and month to month4 ,illustration3 ,circle ,a ,corks ,when past the keen eye of the tester1 the cork1 after its long journey through the factory1 passes either direct to the packing department or to the warehouses4 ,this last point involves a problem which is often very puzzling and difficult of solution4 ,thousands of dollars' worth of corks are placed in the warehouses every year to remain there indefinitely4 ,an order for a quantity of corks of a certain size and quality also involves1 of necessity1 the manufacture of a great many corks of other grades4 ,the reason for this is1 of course1 found in the fact that the raw material1 no matter how carefully sorted at the outset1 will not produce a finished product of uniform quality4 ,thus frequently it becomes necessary to work over a given lot of corks for which there is no demand into a smaller size for which orders are pouring in4 ,illustration3 ,circle ,b ,corks ,into the packing department streams a bewildering array of corks of every conceivable shape1 grade1 and size4 ,the tapers appear in a dozen qualities1 at the head of which stand the peerless 8,circle ,a0 and 8,circle ,b10 prescription corks found in every first-class pharmacy in the land4 ,the straights have been separated into various classes1 running from the fine champagne corks down to the common soda water corks4 ,besides1 there are keg corks1 hand cut corks1 mustard and jar corks of large diameter1 shell corks1 perforated through the center1 and glued corks made up of several layers1 all of which must be put up in packages of suitable size1 ready to be delivered to the shipping department for transportation to the consumer4 ,illustration3 ,tapered ,corks1 ,x ,grade ,illustration3 ,bobbers for ,fishing ,lines ,illustration3 ,large ,tapered ,corks ,illustration3 ,instrument and ,fishing ,rod ,handles ,a host of other useful articles also find their way from the many manufacturing departments to the shipping rooms4 ,of insoles thousands of pairs are produced annually4 ,discs and washers by the million are punched out for use in metal caps for bottles and jars1 and as gaskets in lubricator cups4 ,life-preservers1 ring buoys1 yacht fenders1 mooring and anchoring buoys are the specialties of one department1 while another pays particular attention to the manufacture of seine and gill corks1 and bobbers for fishing lines4 ,so varied1 in fact1 are the forms which cork assumes that the complete cataloguing of the functions which it fills in the world to-day would be well-nigh impossible4 ,for instance1 cork shapes may be found in animal heads on rugs and fur garments1 and1 covered with suitable material1 are used as buttons on fur coats4 ,cork balls play their part in exhibiting cutlery and in various games2 the automobilist finds cork carburetor floats indispensable2 churn lids are made tight with cork gaskets2 pen holders have cork tips2 hats are lined with thin sheets of cork2 friction clutches of cork are steadily growing in favor2 the optician employs small cork strips in connection with eyeglasses2 the plasterer uses cork floats2 while the glass manufacturer knows no better medium for polishing his wares than cork wheels4 ,the finest pieces of bark are made into cork paper1 so thin that five hundred sheets measure but one inch in thickness4 ,sorted into several different grades1 this beautiful1 velvety material is practically all used in making cigarette tips4 ,fishing rod1 whip1 bicycle1 trowel1 and pyrographic instrument handles of cork are1 of course1 familiar to every one4 ,illustration3 ,straight ,wine ,corks ,illustration3 ,straight ,soda ,corks1 ,d ,grade ,illustration3 ,granulated ,cork ,but the manufacture of corks and of all these other articles involves waste1 and waste to an extent little dreamed of4 ,in producing corks1 for instance1 fully sixty-five per cent of the raw material which started out on its journey through the factory may be found later in the form of scrap at the blocking and tapering machines2 but even in this mutilated state the bark is still valuable1 and after proper treatment in the ,pittsburgh plant1 or one of the other factories of the ,company1 appears in the form of numerous by-products of great value and importance4 ,as a matter of fact1 nothing is wasted2 even the smallest particles are utilized4 ,large quantities of scrap are ground up1 sifted1 and made into composition cork with the aid of suitable binders4 ,from 8,suberit10 as the finest variety of this material is termed--light1 close grained1 and tough1 without the large pores of the natural cork--table mats to be placed under hot dishes1 pin cushions1 fishing line floats1 polishing wheels1 and instrument handles are manufactured2 while from 8,acme10 a somewhat coarser grade1 are made insoles1 bath mats1 washers1 gaskets1 and entomological cork--thin sheets for mounting insects4 ,illustration3 ,keg ,corks ,illustration3 ,plasterer's ,float ,illustration3 ,hand ,cut ,corks1 ,a ,grade ,illustration3 ,cork ,carburetor ,floats ,part of the waste is reduced to the form of cork shavings and used to stuff mattresses and boat cushions1 for packing eggs and other fragile articles1 and in making cork floor tiling4 ,this material is manufactured in three shades of brown1 and its warmth of tone and delicately mottled and veined appearance give it a distinctive charm peculiarly its own4 ,smooth and soft as velvet to the touch1 cork tiling is nevertheless firm and resilient and able to stand years of hard service4 ,thousands of square feet have been installed in hotels1 libraries1 museums1 clubs1 and private residences4 ,illustration3 ,hand ,cut ,corks1 ,c ,grade ,cork flour is another by-product1 and is manufactured from the waste bark by much the same method as that employed in grinding wheat4 ,this beautiful light brown dust is one of the chief constituents of high grade linoleum4 ,in the ,company's plant at ,lancaster1 ,pennsylvania1 thousands of yards of this material are produced every day4 ,illustration3 ,mooring and ,anchoring ,buoys ,illustration3 ,jar1 ,mustard1 and ,shell ,corks ,illustration3 ,ring ,buoy ,illustration3 ,life-,preserver ,the many different grades of granulated cork1 made by grinding up cork waste1 find a wide sphere of usefulness for packing and heat insulating purposes4 ,in this last mentioned field1 in fact1 cork now ranks preeminent4 ,its peculiar structure1 which may be seen under the microscope--myriads of sealed air cells1 impervious to air and water--renders it not only a splendid nonconductor of heat1 but also nonabsorbent of moisture4 ,for loose filling between the walls of ice boxes1 water coolers1 and cold storage rooms1 and about the sides of freezing tanks in ice factories1 hundreds of tons of granulated cork are employed every year4 ,comparatively recently1 however1 an insulating material possessing permanency of form has been found desirable for many reasons4 ,to meet this demand granulated cork is transformed into corkboard at the ,company's plants at ,beaver ,falls1 ,pennsylvania1 and ,camden1 ,new ,jersey4 ,using the pure cork1 either with or without an asphaltic binder1 three grades of this material are made1 known as ,nonpareil1 ,impregnated1 and ,acme ,corkboard1 respectively4 ,the sheets measure twelve by thirty-six inches1 of various thicknesses1 and1 as they possess ample structural strength1 may be nailed into place in buildings or rooms of frame construction1 or put up with ,portland cement against brick1 stone1 or concrete walls and ceilings4 ,a plaster finish is readily applied4 ,owing to its freedom from progressive deterioration1 its constant efficiency1 its slow burning and fire retarding properties1 and its sanitary qualities1 corkboard insulation is now recognized as the standard throughout the land1 and may be found installed almost everywhere refrigeration is employed4 ,hundreds of cold storage warehouses1 abattoirs1 fur storage vaults1 breweries1 ice plants1 dairies1 creameries1 candy factories1 and bakeries are insulated with it1 not to mention refrigerated rooms in hotels1 clubs1 private residences1 and aboard the ships of the ,united ,states1 ,british1 and ,italian navies4 ,illustration3 ,cork ,floor ,tiling ,another by-product1 and the last one of importance1 is cork pipe covering for insulating cold pipe lines4 ,made of pure granulated cork1 slightly compressed and molded in sectional form to fit the many different sizes of pipe and kinds of fittings1 it is a thoroughly durable covering for brine and ammonia piping in refrigerating plants1 and for ice water lines in office buildings1 hotels1 and industrial establishments4 ,in this rle the cork bark1 after its devious career in ,american factories1 performs a service similar to that of its early days in ,spain1 when1 sheathing trunk and branches1 it prevented the sun's rays and the parching winds from heating and drying up the cool1 life-giving sap of its parent tree4 ,illustration3 ,nonpareil ,corkboard ,illustration3 ,cork ,pipe ,covering ,illustration ,rogers ,company ,chicago and ,new ,york 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's note ,minor punctuation errors have been changed without notice4 ,all other inconsistencies are as in the original4 ,in this version1 some ,illustration tags have been moved beside the relevant section of the text4