igio Fortst Statistics of Canada— II, 



«63 



hundred and twonty six were in operation. 

 Tho valuo of the productH of thiH industry 

 has decreaxod ono hundred tboucand dollarn 

 during 1910, owin^r to a groat docroane iu 

 tho prico of Hlack eooporago. 



Tho total valuo of tho products of tho 

 cooperage induxtry in ('anada for the year 

 wau $1,740,709. Mlack «'00|>orago comprifed 

 $l,395,r)4.') of this, which was $20U,0OU lemi 

 than in 1900. The value of the tight 

 cooperage waH $.')4~>,1(>4, an increave of 

 $100,000 over the 1909 value. There were, 

 however, five hundred thouHand pieces more 

 of Hlack cooperago produced in 1910 than 

 in 1909, the total number of pieces of slack 

 cooperage turned out in 1910 being 152,- 

 925,000. In tight cooperage 8,716,u00 pieces 

 were used; this is 780,000 pieces less than 

 in 1909. Tho increase in value of tight- 

 cooperago stock is probably due largely to 

 fuller reports rather than to a greater de- 

 mand or growth in tho trade. 



In quantity, slack cooperage forms 94.6 

 per cent of the total and in value forms four 

 fifths. 



In slack cooperage, elm, spruce, poplar, 

 and basswood are by far the most impor- 

 tant woods of the fourteen kinds of woods 

 used. The total of the manufacture of slack 

 cooperage for the year was as follows: — 

 104,821,000 slack staves valued at $7ar),9(i0; 

 9,860,000 sets of slack heatling valued at 

 $330,480, and 38,244,000 hoops valued at 

 $328,105. 



Elm continues to be by far the most im- 

 portant wood, but spruce is slowly becom- 

 ing more important as a stave wood. The^e 

 two species supply over four fifths of the 

 entire stock. Barsam fir feems to be com- 

 ing into greater favor, this species, as well 

 as poplar and ash, being used to a much 

 greater extent than in 1909. 



In all items the average value of slack 

 cooperage shows a decrease in 1910. Elm 

 is the most expensive wood employed in 

 large quantities, being worth $7.78 per 

 thousand. Basswood is next at $7.37, and 

 balsam fir cheapest at $4.26. For headings 

 basswood constitutetl almost half of the 

 wood used. Poplar and spruce are the cheap- 

 est woods UFed. Prices for heading in 1910 

 fell off considerably, tho average value of 

 $33.53 being $18.50 less than the price in 

 1909. 



For hoops over twenty times as much 

 elm was used as of any other woods. Over 

 one million hoops each of spruce and poplar 

 were also used. nooj)s also show a de- 

 crease in i>rico for 1910, having fallen off 

 $1.29 per thousand. The most expensive 

 hoops are those of basswood at $9.86; elm 

 hoops cost $8.78 per thousand, spruce only 

 $5.38, ash, birch and maple about $9.10. 



Details of tight coofH^rage manufacture 

 for 1910 were as follows: — 8,379,000 staves 

 worth $272,924. and 337,000 sets of head- 

 ing, valued at $72,240. 



The chief wood uted in this iodiurtiy is 

 oak, which ia importod from Um Unltod 

 Btaten, either m itaves or in the log. 

 Twelve ii|iecie« altogether are uned in too 

 manufacture of tight stave*, npniee, gum, 

 aab, basswood and birrJi being used next to 

 oak. The number of aawed staves reoortod In 

 1910 was twelve hundred thousand less than 

 that reported in 1909. The total value of 

 sawed tight-cooperage for 1910 was $53,500 

 more than in 1909. Of the total numbar 

 of staves, 7,137,000 (85.1 per cent) were 

 sawed staves, 923,000 (11 per cent) wera 

 ale and beer staves and 319,000 were back* 

 e^I and split staves. The quantitj of ale 

 and beer stock reported in 1010 was seven 

 times the amount rei>orted in 1909. For 

 the last two clasFes of staves, onlj Una* 

 grainetl white oak can be used, and. as the 

 white oak supply is rapidlj decreasing, the 

 production of these staves is falling off. 



Of tight heading 337,000 sets were made 

 having a total value of $7:^,240 and an aver- 

 age value per set of twenty one cents. Of 

 the tight heading manufactured ni Canada in 

 1910, eighty six per cent was sawed, and 

 fourti>en per cent was ale and beer. Oak 

 was used in tae manufacture of three quar- 

 ters of the Fawcd heading, and cost on the 

 average twenty five cents per set. Sprues, 

 Douglas fir, ash and basswood were also 

 UFod, ranging in price from seven cents for 

 a»h and basswood to eleven cents for Doug- 

 las fir. 



THE FUTURE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA 

 LUMBERINQ -Contimutd. 



manager of large enterprises. A 

 fieldi which has as yet hardly open- 

 ed, but which must in future g^w 

 large and ever larger, is that of for- 

 est engineering. Undoubtedly the 

 time is at hand when the Provincial 

 Government will employ technically 

 trained men to look after the public 

 forest interests. Private owners and 

 operators will follow suit just as 

 soon as they see that it is profitable 

 to do so. Without dioubt the course 

 of events will follow closely the 

 story of developments in the United 

 States, where serious inroads have 

 been made in the staff of the United 

 States Forest Service by the lumber- 

 men east, south, and west, who are 

 willing to pay more liberally and 

 advance more rapidly capable for- 

 est engineers than is practicable in 

 the government service. 



