84 FOREST UTILIZATION . 



The forms preferred in slack cooperage, either locally 

 or for given goods, vary to such a degree that figures 

 .descriptive of the forms cannot be recorded. 

 II. The "Tight Coopers' Union" specifies: 



(a) Whisky barrel staves length 34 inches to 35 



inches, thickness % inch, width 4% inch after 

 jointing, measured across bilge on the outside. 



(b) Wine barrel staves length 34 inches, thickness 



11/16 inch after drying and planing, width 4^2 

 inches. 



(c) Oil, tierce and pork staves have similar dimen- 



sions, allowing, however, of sap, one or two 



sound worm holes and knots showing on one 



side only. 

 Variations of l /& inch in length and 1/16 inch in 



thickness are permitted in all staves (so called 



equalized staves). 

 Pipes, butts and puncheons contain over 100 gal- 



lons and are used for port, rum etc. 

 A hogshead of claret is 46 gallons. 



D. Statistical notes: 



I. One thousand feet board measure in logs Doyle's rule 

 yield 2.500 sawed flour staves, 3.200 veneered staves, 

 4,000 cut hoops or 3,000 sawn hoops. 

 II. One cord of bolts, with the bark, will make 1,000, or, 



without bark, 1,200 slack staves. 



III. In Tennessee, eight white oaks (of over 18 inches diam- 

 eter) are said to average 1,000 half barrel beer staves. 



E. Prices and their tendency : 



Staves Apr. 1. 1901. Feb. 10, 1904. 



No. 1, flour barrel, per 1,000 ........... $9.00 $11.00 to $13.60 



No. 1, cottonwood. per 1,000 ........... 6.00 .............. 



No. 1, gum. per 1.000 ....................... 10.OO to 12.00 



Memphis white oak, without sap ........ 26.00 44.00 



Heading 



No. 1, flour barrel, per get ............... 06% .08 to .08% 



No. 1, gum, per set ...................... 04 .07% to .06 



Hoops 



Colled elm hoops, per 1.000 ............. 7.00 9.00 to 10.00 



Hickory hoops, per 1,000 ................ 6.00 6.25 to 6.75 



Barrels 



Flour, 12 hickory hoop barrel ............ 41 .45 to .48% 



Flour, 8 patent hoop barrel ............... 39 .46 



olr^SnT . ( . I0 . hl . ck .. ry .. ho ? p9 !::::: .: 39 



The price of white oak material has risen rapidly and must 

 continue to rise indefinitely, substitutes for white oak being 

 impossible. 



In slack cooperage, on the other hand, raw material continues 



to be plentiful, and new, cheaper forms of packages enter into 



daily competition with the barrel. 

 The cost of making tierces at Chicago is: Staves ($21 per 



1,000), 39 cents; heading, 16 cents; hoops, 20 cents; wages, 



25 cents; total, $i. 



