TIGHT COOPERAGE 149 



less waste material to be hauled in with rived staves and, therefore, the 

 haul can be done cheaper. In Germany, the proper bilge of rived staves 

 is secured by hewing, whereas bending is secured in the United States in 

 a finishing plant by end pressure. 



Stumpage. 



Within recent years, stumpage values in Arkansas have averaged 

 from $2.50 to $5.50 or more per thousand board feet, depending upon (a) 

 quaUty and size of the trees; (b) location, that is, the topography and its 

 relation to the nearest available haul-roads; (c) accessibility or distance 

 to the mill or shipping point. The nature of the haul-road, including its 

 grade and the character of its surface, have a strong bearing on the value 

 of stumpage. 



Only the best white oaks are taken. They must be tall, straight, 

 cylindrical, free from large limbs for a good height and at least 16 in. in 

 diameter at breast height. Under average conditions, only about 500 

 to 1000 bd. ft. of desirable white oak material are foimd per acre in the 

 Arkansas forests. 



Stumpage is higher for good stave stock than for heading because 

 better quaUty is demanded for stave stock, and it is possible to use a 

 greater portion of the tree with heading on account of the bolts being 

 shorter. Sometimes the same tree is used for both stave and heading 

 bolts, but with the majority of operations the work is limited to either the 

 cutting out of one or the other product. Very commonly the defects 

 are not visible until the tree has been opened up, so that there is a large 

 amount of waste attendant upon most of these operations. There is, 

 of course, a great deal more waste with rived staves than with sawed 

 staves because the former must be of absolutely straight-grained mate- 

 rial. There is also much more waste with whisky staves than in the 

 case of " oils." " Oils," on the other hand, require considerably more 

 waste than pork staves. 



It is the general practice in purchasing stumpage to pay for only the 

 scale of the quartered sections which come up to grade. Stiunpage is 

 paid for on the basis of per thousand board feet, bolt scale. There is 

 considerable agitation now in the Forest Service to pay for stumpage on 

 the basis of cubical contents regardless of board measure actually used. 



Rived Staves. 



Only the finest white oak timber is selected for rived staves, as it must 

 be wholly free from defects and, in addition, it must be straight-grained in 

 order to split out properly. 



