314 BARKEK BARKING nect the bark and wood and afford channels for the deposit of the solid contents of the wood cells. From this it follows that while the youngest part of the wood is on the outside, the youngest part of the bark is on the inside ; and when the newly formed cells are gorged with sap in the spring the bark may be readily separated from the wood ; the newly formed cells are also the first to decay in the dead wood. The course of the sap is seen by cutting horizontally through the bark, when the upper edge of the cut will be moistened with the oozing sap, while the lower is nearly dry. | Cutting off entirely the circulation of sap, as in girdling, destroys the tree. Bark may be reduced to extreme thinness, as in the grape vine, which sheds its liber annually, or be very thick, as in the sequoia gigantea, where it at- tains a thickness of two feet. The fibres, usu- '. ally called bast (see BAST), are sometimes ! wanting, and are sometimes found in the woody portion of the stem. When present they are frequently limited to the young plant. They are of use when tenacious for cordage, many barks well supplying the place of ropes even in the construction of bridges. The leatherwood (direa palustru), and the inner bark of the white cedar, are used in this country in place of hempen cordage, and the fibres may be soaked and felted into a cloth or paper, as in the tapa of the Pacific islanders. In the West Indies a remarkably tough bark called miha- gua is in general use for a great variety of pur- poses, and the hibiscus fibres are well known throughout the tropics. The corky envelope occurs on many trees, but attains a remarkable thickness on certain species of the oak. (See OOEK.) Bark contains many of the secretions of the sap, and thus has many economic uses j as a reservoir of vegetable products. The Peru- vian bark (see CINCHONA) is the source of qui- nine; the Angostura bark (galipea officinalis), canella bark (from 0. alba), cascarilla (croton cascarilla), and other species, are well known drugs. Cinnamon is the bark of cinnamomum Ceylonicum, a lauraceous tree, native of Cey- lon. Quercitron bark is the yellow dyestuff of quercus tinetoria. From the tannin which barks contain, especially oak and hemlock barks, arises their importance in the making of leather. BARKER, Fordyte, M. D., an American phy- sician, born in Wilton, Maine, May 2, 1819. He graduated at Bowdoin college in 1837, studied medicine at Harvard university, Edin- burgh, and Paris, taking his degree at Paris in 1844. In 1845 he commenced practice at Nor- wich, Conn., and became professor of midwife- ry in Bowdoin college. In 1850 he became professor of midwifery in the New York medi- cal college, and in 1856 he was elected presi- dent of the New York state medical society, and in 1860 was chosen professor of clinical midwifery and diseases of women in Bellevue hospital medical college. He is the author of a work on puerperal diseases (1872). BARKER, Jacob, an American financier, born at Swan Island, Kennebec county, Maine, Dec. 7, 1779, died in Philadelphia, Dec. 26, 1871. He was of a Quaker family of Nantucket, and connected on the mother's side with Franklin. At the age of 16 he went to New York, where he got employment with Isaac Hicks, a com- mission merchant, began to trade on his own account in a small way, and before his majority was in possession of four ships and a brig, and had his notes regularly discounted at the United States bank. In 1801 he lost nearly all his fortune by a series of mishaps in business. Not long afterward, however, he entered into a con- tract with the government for the supply of oil, and again accumulated considerable wealth Ho received the consignment of the first steam engine used on the Hudson river. The war of 1812 coming on, he took the democratic side in politics, engaged to raise a loan of $5,000,000 for the government, was one of the building committee of Tammany hall, and took part in the first meeting held in it. He became senator of the state of New York, and when sitting in the court of errors he delivered an opinion in opposition to that of Chancellor Kent, in an insurance case, in which he was sustained by the court. He soon afterward established th "Union" newspaper to advocate the election of Gov. Clinton. In 1815 he founded the Exchange bank in Wall street, and began to speculate in stocks. The bank broke in 1819, but he made use of other institutions chartered in different states, and for many years, by the extent of his operations, was thought to have the control of great capital. In the extensive transactions in which he now engaged, he came into frequent and violent collision with other capitalists, and called forth much opposition. On the failure of the life and fire insurance company, he was indicted, with others, for conspiracy to defraud, and defended himself in person with great ability. At the first trial the jury disagreed ; on the second he was con- victed, but a new trial was granted. After the third the indictment was quashed. In 1834 he removed to New Orleans, where he studied law and was admitted to the bar, after being unsuccessful on his first examination. Here he took a prominent part in politics and business, and had again accumulated a fortune when the civil war began. By this he was so im- poverished that in 1867 he was in bank- ruptcy, and he ended his career in compara- tive poverty. BARKING, a market town and parish of Es- sex, England, 6 m. E. of London; pop. of the town in 1871, 6,574. It is on a navigable creek near the Thames, and is inhabited chiefly by fishermen, bargemen, and market carriers. Barking abbey, one of the oldest and richest nunneries in England, was founded about 677. In 870 it was burnt to the ground and the nuns were killed or dispersed by the Danes. In the 10th century it was restored by King Edgar. Several queens of England and other noble
