Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-12-01
MILLIONS FOR BARRELS.
Interesting Facts About an Industry OF
Great Importance.

Interesting Facts About an Industry OF
Great Importance.
The farmer with his potatoes and
his apples, the miller with his flour and
meal, the hardware man with his nails,
the cement manufacturer, and the
many other users Of the faithful slack
barrel, that combination Of slaves,
hoops and heading, which is not In
tended to hold water or something
stronger in fluid form, says Wash
ington letter. used forest products last
year having the enormous value of $15,-
SOO,253.
The average man would little suspect
that the humble barrel plays so import
ant a part in the expense accounts OF
the American farmer and manufactur-
er, yet figures compiled by the census
in corporation with the United States
forest service develop this interesting
truth Moreover, statistics taken di-
rectly from reports from $50 cooperage
mills in all parts Of the United States
show an increase of $1,569,6S3, or IL
per cent, in the value Of last years pro-
duct over that of the previous year.
In distinct contrast to tight cooper
age stock which in the main requires
oak timber for it's raw material, slack
cooperage stock, particularly slaves
and heading, utilized in greater or less
degree, most of the commercially i'm
portant trees in the country, and for
this reason it's manufacture was far
more widely distributed than is the
case with that Of tight cooperage stock.
Twenty -one species of wood contribut-
ed to the total slack stave production
last year. Nearly two-thirds of the
output, however was manufactured
from the four species, red gum, pine,
elm and beech, in the order named.
The figures disclose an interesting
movement in the industry in the sub
stitution Of less expensive woods for
those which for many years were
drawn upon most heavily for slack
stave material, but which, owing to
growing scarcity and advancing cost,
are rapidly being displaced. In 1906
elm slaves were manufactured in larger
quantities than those from any other
wood, and constituted nearly one-fourth
Of the total production for that year,
with pine and red gum occupying Sec
ond and third places, respectively. Last
year gum jumped to first place. pine
RI cecond while elm with a falling off
of SO per cent in production, dropped to
third place. Beech, maple, spruce,
chestnut, and ash followed in the order
named.
While slack stave and heading pro-
duction was reported last year from
practically all the states engaged in the
manufacture of lumber, a considerable
percentage Of the stock, in fact, being
turned out as by-prOduct of lumber
the industry was to an extent localized,
the five states Of Pennsylvania, Mis-
souri,. Michigan, Arkansas and Virgin
la. in the order named. contributing 56.S
per cent of the total production. The
distribution of the industry Of hoop
manufacture is much more limited than
that of slaves and heading, and is due
primarily to the fact that this commo-
dity is made chiefly from elm timber.
Ohio led in the quantity Of hoops man
ufactured, closely followed by Indiana,
the output Of these two states forming
67.3 per cent Of the total production