56 THE PRINCIPAL USES OP WOOD.. 



framing of the floor are of steel or iron. The sides and roofs are 

 usually of wood of the very best quality — usually teak. 



Gun carriages are subject to much more severe strains than 

 any other class of vehicles. Hence great care must be exercised 

 in choosing wood for them. Those portions on which the guns 

 rest must also be very hard and tough, so as to resist friction well. 



Sledges must be as light as possible. Hence only the strongest 

 woods should be used. The runners are subject to enormous 

 friction ; they are therefore armed with removable soles, about 

 I inch thick, of some extremely hard wood. In the Western Him- 

 alayas Quercus dilatata furnishes the best soles. 

 Aeticlb 8. CooPEEs' "Wood. 



The cooper makes casks, barrels, tubs, pails and buckets for 

 holding both liquids and dry goods. For holding liquids the 

 wood should not be so porous as to allow any appreciable quantity 

 of the contents to filter through. Moreovei', it should not com- 

 municate any unpleasant or undesirable taste or odour to the 

 contained liquid, nor impart any objectionable colour. Certain 

 dry goods must also be similarly protected. Portable casks 

 that are to contain liquids must be made of very strong wood, 

 because of their great weight when full, and in order to with- 

 stand the constant violent shocks to which every portion is exposed 

 whenever there is a jolt or shake ; and it must be remembered 

 that the slightest crack or flaw will cause the liquid to run out. 



The large quantities of rum and other spirits distilled in India 

 and the rapid growth of the brewing industry in every part of the 

 country will soon require a large supply of staves for casks and 

 barrels. The staves should always be split, but English brewers 

 seem to be indifferent to whether those they use are sawn or split. 

 For a hogshead are required 



20 staves 3' 3" x 6" or 5" x IJ" and 

 10 head-pieces 2' x 8" or 6" x li". 



The head-pieces are the staves that go to form the top and bot- 

 tom of the cask. Before they can be put together the staves have 

 to be properly shaped and shaven, those forming the sides of the 

 cask being kept thickest and broadest in the middle. When thus 

 prepared, these latter are 3' 1" x 5" (in the middle) x ly. The 

 head-pieces are reduced to a thickness of 1^ inches. 



Owing to want of enterprise the doubtless numerous kinds of 

 Indian woods suited for cooperage work have hitherto remained 

 unutilized. We cannot therefore do better than adapt from Boppe's 

 Technologie Forestihre his excellent description of the manner in 

 which cask staves are made in France. 



