SLACK COOPERAGE 131 



The manufacture of heading does not require skilled labor of any 

 particular or exacting nature. A mill having a capacity of about 4000 

 sets of heading in a ten-hour day, but actually turning out about 3500 

 sets per day, has the following crew in the heading mill alone. About 

 100 h.p. was required to drive the heading machinery. 



2 men or boys called " tads " to take the boards from the dry-kiln trucks 



and place them within convenient reach of the jointers. 

 2 jointers to feed the jointing machines. 

 2 matchers to put those boards together that will fit and make the proper 



width for a head. 

 2 turners — these men only work every other hour. 

 I pick-up or assembly man to put the pieces together after coming from 



the heading turner. 

 I baler who takes the assembled heads and fastens them with wire into 



bundles of 20 sets each. 

 I boy who picks up the " goosenecks " and ties them together. 

 I general utility man to assist anyone who becomes overrushed with 



work, look after breakdowns, clean-up congested parts of the mill, 



assist in loading baled heading, etc. 

 I plant foreman. 



MANUFACTURE OF HOOPS 



Elm has always been the leading hoop wood on account of its tough- 

 ness, strength, and ability to retain these qualities when steamed or 

 boiled and bent. It m_akes up practically all of the material used for 

 hoops, although oak, hickory, ash, birch, and maple are occasionally used. 

 In the far South, pine, cypress and red and black gum are sometimes 

 used, but the total amount is almost negligibl ecompared to elm. Wooden 

 hoops are not as important a forest product as formerly, due to heavy 

 competition from wire and fiat steel and iron hoops, which are gradually 

 displacing the wooden variety. 



Hoops are generally made in separate mills which move from place 

 to place as the scattering local supply of elm and other species are ex- 

 hausted. Green timber which is sound and straight-grained and free 

 from knots, shakes and other defects is the best material. It is generally 

 felt that second growth rock elm makes a very poor and unsatisfactory 

 hoop. 



The standard barrel hoop should be if in. wide, 4 to 7 ft. long and with 

 one edge about twice as thick as the other. Usually the thicker edge is 

 j^ in. wide and the other ^ in. in width. Both edges are rounded. On 



