146 FOREST PRODUCTS 



able mills, which are scattered over the white oak regions of Arkansas, 

 Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri and other states from five to twenty-five 

 or more miles from the nearest shipping point. 



5. The industry is highly specialized in that few local mills or plants 

 make more than two kinds of staves or heading for the market. The 

 manufacture of beer arid ale staves constitutes a separate branch of the 

 industry. 



SPECIES USED 



White oak comprises from 75 to 85 per cent of all the material used for 

 tight cooperage staves and from 65 to 70 per cent of all the material used 

 for heading. 



Other species used for staves are red oak, red gum and ash. Ash 

 makes up about 75 per cent or more of all of the heading used in pork 

 barrels. Red oak constitutes about 14 per cent of all the material used 

 for tight cooperage heading. Other species used for heading purposes 

 in order are red gum, white pine, white ash, basswood and cypress. 

 Other species occasionally used which are coming into greater prom- 

 inence from year to year, are beech, birch, chestnut, Douglas fir, hard 

 maple and spruce. 



Most of the white oak is the true white oak (Quercus alba). Some of 

 it is post oak (Q. minor) and some of the other white oaks, such as over- 

 cup oak (Q. acuminata) bur oak (Q. macrocarpa) and swamp white oak 

 (Q. platanoides) are used to a limited extent. There is very little differ- 

 ence in the character of the wood produced by these various white oaks 

 and they are usually accepted without discrimination by the manufac- 

 turers and purchasers of stumpage under the single head of white oak. 



The highest grade of staves are called Bourbon staves, which are 

 known as " whiskies " in the trade. These barrels are made entirely, 

 that is, including both staves and heading, of white oak. The grade of 

 tight staves which brings the next highest price on the market are the 

 spirit and wine staves, which are colloquially known as " wines " in the 

 trade. These also are made entirely of white oak. The next grade are 

 the oils and tierces, which are known as " oils " and which are largely 

 made up of white oak, but red oak and red gum are used to some extent. 

 The least expensive staves are those used in pork barrels and are called 

 " porks." White ash furnishes a large amount of material for these 

 barrels and white oak is also used to a large extent as well as red oak, 

 red gum, Douglas fir, birch and hard maple. 



Although these four kinds of staves constitute the large majority of 



