120 



heading as well. The increasing demands for slack cooperage stock 

 rapidly exhausted the available elm, however, and a change was soon 

 made to other woods. About 1900 red gum began to appear upon the 

 market for slack barrels, and since 1907 it has been the leading wood used 

 for staves. With the decrease in the use of elm came the increased use 

 of beech, birch and maple, particularly in the Lake States, where these 

 woods had not been cut when the more valuable white pine was removed 

 from the Michigan and Wisconsin forests. These came into such 

 common usage that the trade name " hardwood staves " came to be 



10". 12 "LOGS 



TWO WAYS OF CUTTING LARGE LOGS 

 (ABOUT 40") 



FIG. 27. Method of cutting logs of various diameters into stave bolts. 



applied to these woods, which are now used for the highest grades of 

 slack barrels, namely, for the flour and sugar trade. 



Red gum has been the leading stave wood for the past several years 

 and it is likely that it will hold this place for some time to come. It has 

 also been the leading heading wood next to pine for the past few years. 

 Red gum staves and heading are shipped to every part of the country and 

 large quantities are now exported to European and South American 

 markets. In the South, red gum is practically the only wood used for 

 molasses and sugar barrels and is used very largely for shipment of rosin 

 as well. The available supply of red gum is comparatively large and this 

 fact, together with the even texture and strength of its wood are impor- 

 tant factors in making red gum our leading slack cooperage wood. 



