Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-05-05
300, oOo. 900 BARRELS A YEAR.
Der, and How They Are Made by Modern
Methods

What is Done With This Immense Num-
Der, and How They Are Made by Modern
Methods.
The introduction Of improved machinery
in its manufa cture has made the Ameri-
can cooperage business the largest in the
world. There are upward Of 300 900. 600
barrels and circular packages manufac-
tured in this country annually, and the
demand increases so that this output must
be steadily broadened in order to keep
pace with the growth Of the business.
The largest consumption Of barrels is in
the cement business. which approximately
demands 600 a year for the trade
while flour comes next, with a demand for
22'5OO 600; fence staples, bolts, nuts. and
nails require $4,000. 600 and sugar Is 900
600. Roasted coffee. spices, crockery. and
| fruits and vegetables use up about 5 600
OOO barrels year each, while the glass
ware trade, baking powder companies.
distilled liquor manufacturers. and candy
TOBACCO, and cheese packers are big users
OF barrels, averaging in each trade from
100000 TO 5000 900 barrels. The CON
sumption Of barrels for molasses. oil lard
ana pork Is also enormous while dry
paint, glue, snuff oatmeal. screws. cast
ings, and general hardware articles an
HuaHS increase the demand on the
cooperage supply.
While the amount OF expenditures for
! barrels can be closely estimated for
given year. II is not possible to saw how
many barrels are in actual use The life
OF a barrel is put down at one year by the
trade; but that is far from true. The
great majority of barrels have as r,any
nVes as cat. They begin as sugar or
/ hour barrels, and are then sold 10 the
farmer Tor shipping his produce TO market.
IL may be they are returned to him sew
eral times. carrying potatoes or pickles
10 market in the first trip, and then cab
pages or lettuce in the next. each cargo
/ being lighter in weight than the previons
one owing TO the weakened condition Of
the barrel Finally. the barrel NAV serve
out It's life work as garbage receptacle
ana be burned in the end in some tene-
ment home to keep out the winters chill
mus II may be said that a barrel serves
a more useful career than almost any
other manufactured article and its life
is much longer than q season The A.
mand for barrels is steadily increasine
because modern machinery has made n
possible to make them for the trade
cheaper than almost any other form ~
package That 1t is the most convenient
form OF package has long been acknovv-
ieuged. The ancient cooper's art was a
skilled one, and the work Of cutting ont
the staves and then assembling them re-
CURED long practice and Apprenticeship
Today machinery performs in a traction
OF the time what hand labor did SO slowly
and clumsily "''
me modern veneer machines have hAen
instrumental in reducing the cost ~ har-
refs Hand labor is eliminated here 20
such an extent that the work OF feedinS
the machines constitutes most OF the re-
quirements of the operators. The stayes
are cur 10 the required thickness by the
maehlnes' and then pressed into shape bv
hydraulic pressure until they are ready
Tor the assembling machine
feature OF barrel-making in this oo,,D
ny Is the grading OF the circular packages
so that all the lumber brought 10 r.
factories can be utilized. One class ~
barrels must be absolutely water-ti1bt
DaIo, nav OF any kind in their slaves
Barrels made for the oil uhislev go
paint trade must not only be fawless h,,t
they must have a resistance power eouaI
70 lateral pressure OF FIVE hundred
POUNDS In order to secure this the slaves
must De put TO rigid test beforehand
anu they must be cured so there win he
M. t.its Oh snrlnkage and damage when
put INTO use Lumber used for this work
must De carefully selected, and IL must
pe cured by natures slow but snra -
cess hlln-dried lumber would never do
me condition OF klin-dried wood Is s,,cb
'lat II would prove too brittle
- S.NeSe oah' hlckory ash. or other
,i WOOD must be selected for barrels
used for such purposes. and tbair 80.
consequently in proportion to the extra
Iaoor and cost OF the raw product Ont
Vi every dozen trees in an ordinary woods
olly TOUR or five will be found 10
pass the most rigid examination ana tes,s
me second grade OF barrels comprises
nose winch have to endure a great lateral
stIalh' put which do not have TO he vOatar
usht TO this class belong the sugar no.
res, ana all those used for packing hard
ware Inc slaves must be OF hard wood b,,t
,hey only require strength and a mower
70 resist three or four hundred noun6s
iaterai pressure. 1t is possible To ,1sa To-
Slese barrels most of the lumber reiscte5
~ me hrst class Of barrels. There must
H o' oe knot holes In the barrels. however
WT,,1 tsIsness TO some extent is essential
ra ,ie , .he sugar and flour barrels have
paper lining inside OF them tba,, ..-,,,
SPIN more or less of the contents ~ ho,as
in them. size are lett
me third grade Of barrels INCLUDE.
muse used In the hardware trade ana 49,.
PaeAihg TOBACCO, spices, and coffeas M
Melsht OF these articles is no lees tha's
sugar or Hour, but their sides nead yot 'd al
% sght The barrels and kegs for az
haruWare trade must be stout bnt In.
yer can De used that is somewhat AZ
tecuVe' Knots are not NECESSARILY a ~
,' ~ me use OF slaves. Some OF the ronsh
- l'tei used up in this way Is praeticsiIv
an, ~ VI no use Tor the manufacture 81
80. - hino OF circular packages. The
Isl Vi the raw material being smalIar
the barrels can be sold to the tsaSa s'
hity to sixty per cent. less thsn . itoln