146 iNursTKiAL rsf:.s of wood. 



In the traclo, the stuvcs arc sold in lots cacli sunk'icnt to 

 make up into a cask of dilicrcnt dimensions, or i'or France, in 

 hundreds. 



The import of staves from America is steadil}' increasin{j: at 

 Bordeaux, Liverpool, Hamburj?, &c., and is reducin;^' the price 

 of European wood. 



The waste of wood in making staves varies from 30 to 50 per 

 cent. 



After ron<(h staves have left the forest they require further 

 trimming and shaping by the hand of the cooper, and must be 

 alloAved to season in piles in the open for several years before 

 they are fit to make serviceable casks. If, however, they are 

 steeped in water when quite green and then carefully dried, they 

 may be made into casks two years after leaving the forest. 



Machines are used in England for making casks, and the 

 latter are much more regular and of better appearance than 

 those made by hand : it is only questionable whether casks 

 made of sawn staves are as durable as those made of split ones. 

 In other countries machines are no longer used for cask-making, 

 as they do not exclude subsequent manual labour in finishing 

 the casks. It is stated that in America beer-barrels can now be 

 made of papier-nifiche, which material has for some time been 

 used for oil -barrels, 



2. Slack 7>V(r/v'/.s-. 



Slack Barrels are used for non-spirituous liquids, »!v:c., such as 

 those used for the transport of herrings and other sea-fish, for 

 living animals, for oil, bathing- and water-tubs, malting-vats, 

 milk-pails and a number of other articles. 



Herring-barrels were formerly made of inferior oakwood, but 

 more recently of beech, birch, alder, red pine and aspen-wood. 

 Large malting-vats, and other vats used in brewing, are made 

 of oakwood. Oil and petroleum casks are made chiefiy of beech- 

 wood, but also of oak and chestnut-wood. Other slack barrels 

 are made almost exclusively of coniferous wood, only smaller 

 drinking-vessels being made of maple, pear and cherry-wood, or 

 in preference, of junij)er or Cembran pinewood. 



In splitting wood for staves for slack barrels similar methods 

 are followed as alrciidv dcscrilx'd ; the staves are, however. 



