TIGHT COOPERAGE 145 



demand upon the distillers and others for considerable quantity of 

 bonded goods resulting in an increased demand for raw materials for 

 staves and heading. The great increase in the production of petroleum 

 and, to some extent, of cotton seed oil and turpentine, have also tended 

 to enlarge the demand upon white oak and other species used for these 

 barrels. The prohibition laws have not materially decreased the output 

 of tight cooperage stock because the demand for oil staves and heading 

 has increased to such a large extent. 



SPECIAL FEATURES 



Altogether the tight cooperage industry is distinguished by the follow- 

 ing outstanding features : 



1. The steadily increasing demands for stave and heading stock 

 attended by the rapidly rising stumpage values and prices demanded for 

 the product. 



2. Great waste in the production and manufacture of both staves and 

 heading. In the early days, staves were almost entirely rived in order 

 to insure straight grain in the finished stave. At the present time, only 

 a small portion of our tight staves are bucked, and split, and hewed, and 

 these are turned out almost entirely for foreign consumption. They 

 bring unusually high prices compared to the sawed staves. It is esti- 

 mated that from 50 to 70 per cent of the raw material as it stands in the 

 woods is lost in the manufacture of staves even under the present methods 

 pursued in the industry and from 40 to 60 per cent of the raw material 

 is lost in the manufacture of heading. Only trees above 16 in. in diam- 

 eter at breast height can be used and the heart of the largest trees up to 

 a diameter of from 4 to 8 in. is usually left in the woods together with all 

 sap wood, tops, cross grain and knotty or otherwise defective material. 

 Only rarely is material less than 1 2 in. in diameter at the top taken, thus 

 leaving a long, clear top frequently in the woods. This top is sometimes 

 utilized for ties or for wagon and chair stock. 



3. There is a very heavy drain upon one species which lends itself 

 most admirably for the purpose of tight cooperage stock and for which 

 there are no apparent satisfactory substitutes. It is estimated that 

 from 12 to 1 6 per cent of all oak cut for lumber and all other purposes 

 goes into tight cooperage stock. 



4. Production by means of small portable mills, which are frequently 

 moved from place to place near the source of supply, and long hauls of the 

 rough product to the nearest railroad point or shipping wharf along the 

 river. Some companies own from 20 to 40 or more of these small port- 



