MONCTON. REPORT BY COMMERCIAL AGENT BENEDICT. Estimate of the number and value of staves used: The kind of staves in greatest demand are kiln dried, made from the birch and spruce. Suitable wood is found everywhere in this consular district. The staves are mostly manufactured by the consumer at a cost as follows: Birch staves for sugar barrels ..... Per M. $8 to $9 15 10 $7 to 16 The conditions in which staves should be delivered in order to command the best price and to give the most satisfaction are kiln dried and completely finished, ready to put together. Dimensions of the staves in use: calcined-plaster barrels, spruce, 30 inches long, 3 inches to 5 inches broad, three-eighths inch thick; sugar barrels, birch, 30 inches long, 3 inches to 5 inches broad, three-eighths inch thick; tanning-extract barrels, spruce, 34 inches long, 43 inches broad, three-fourths inch thick; fish barrels of spruce, fir, and pine, 28 inches long, 33 inches broad, five-eighths inch thick. The kinds of timber most desirable for the particular kind of stave desired are birch and spruce. No American staves are sold at present in this district. There is an unlimited amount of wood in this country suitable for staves. The reason there are not more manufactured is because there is no demand for them. JAS. S. BENEDICT, Commercial Agent. UNITED STATES COMMERCIAL AGENCY, Moncton, New Brunswick, April 17, 1891. 561A-7 MONTREAL. REPORT BY CONSUL-GENERAL KNAPP. During the year 1890 there were used in the Province of Quebec, Canada, about 16,000,000 staves, valued at about $77,000. These staves were used in manufacturing the following articles: In manufacturing sugar barrels, about 9,000,000 staves, valued at about $51,750; in manufacturing flour barrels, about 1,000,000 staves, valued at about $5,750; in manufacturing apple and onion barrels, about 1,000,500 staves, valued at about $6,000; in manufacturing nail kegs, about 4,500,000 staves, valued at about $13,500. The kind, value, and dimensions of the staves used depend on the article to be manufactured. In manufacturing sugar and flour barrels the elm-wood stave, first-class quality, is used. The dimensions of these staves are in length 30 inches, with width varying, and are furnished to the consumer at a cost of about $5.75 per thousand. These staves are obtained from Wallaceburg, Chatham, and other places in the Province of Ontario, Canada. In manufacturing apple and onion barrels, the elm-wood stave, second-class quality, is used, the dimensions of the staves being in length 30 inches, width varying, and are furnished to the consumer at a cost of about $4 per 1,000. These staves are obtained as are the above from Wallaceburg, Chatham, and other places in the Province of Ontario. In manufacturing nail kegs the spruce-wood stave is used, the dimensions being in length 18 inches, width varying, and are furnished to the consumers at a cost of about $3 per 1,000. These staves are obtained from Joliette, Danville, and other places in the Province of Quebec, Canada. The demand for all of the above kinds of staves is increasing. The supply of the spruce stave is almost unlimited, but the supply of the elm-wood stave is not so plentiful. This is due to the fact that this kind of stave is in by far the greatest demand in Canada and to the further fact that large quantities of this kind of stave are exported to England and also to the United States, principally to the cities of New York and Boston. Staves to command the best price should be well made and jointed, thoroughly dry, and delivered in packages about one hundred in each package. I am unable to find that there are any American staves used in this consular district. The home supply has (in the past) been that plentiful and the cost of the same to the consumer has been such as to prevent the importation of American staves with any profit to the importer. CHAS. L. KNAPP, UNITED STATES CONSULATE GENERAL, Montreal, April 20, 1891. Consul-General. OTTAWA. REPORT BY CONSUL-GENERAL LAY. Approximate estimate of the number and value of staves used, 100,000 flour-barrel staves. Forty thousand barrel staves are made by the only factory in this district per annum. Kind in greatest demand are pork-barrel staves. Nail-keg staves are in demand, but the price too low for export. The source of supply is in the neighborhood of Ottawa. Flour-barrel staves cost $6.50 per 1,000. Pork-barrel staves cost $18 to $20 per 1,000. Nail-keg staves cost $3.25 to $4 per 1,000. They should be delivered thoroughly dried and jointed and put into bundles. Flour-barrel staves should be 30 inches long, average of 4 inches wide, three-eighths to seven-sixteenths inch thick. Pork barrels should be 30 inches long and average 4 inches wide and five-eighths inch thick. The kind of timber most desirable for the particular kind of stave desired: For flour barrels is elm or ash; for pork barrels, white ash or oak; for nail kegs, spruce. The supply is abundant for flour barrels. The demand for staves is declining. The demand for pork-barrel staves is increasing for home consumption and shipping. The wood is scarce. American staves are not sold in this district. Before some of the recent railways were built large quantities of flour were sent to the shanties on the timber limits in winter for use in the following fall, all in barrels. This has almost ceased; consequently few staves are used in this district, the railroad communication and transportation being frequent. There is a sugar refinery in Montreal that still demands flour-barrel staves. The demand for staves does not seem to be inviting for Amercan manufacturers under present circumstances. UNITED STATES CONSULATE GENERAL, RICHARD G. LAY, Ottawa, April 16, 1891. Consul-General. PORT HOPE. REPORT BY COMMERCIAL AGENT SHAFFER. The only portion of this district in which staves are produced, either for home consumption or export, is the northwest part, in the neighborhood and north of Lindsay. An approximate estimate of the number produced would be about 1,000,000, the value about $4,500. The kind of staves in greatest demand are those used in making flour barrels. The sources of supply are the counties of Haliburton and Simcoe, and the cost to the consumer is from $4.50 to $5 per thousand. The condition to command best price and give most satisfaction should be thoroughly dry cut staves. The dimensions of staves in use are 2 to 6 inches wide by threeeighths of an inch thick and 2 feet 6 inches long. The kind of timber used in the manufacture is principally elm. Sufficient supply to meet the demand is easily obtained in the abovenamed section of the district. As far as can be ascertained no American staves are sold at present in this district. L. M. SHAFFER, UNITED STATES CONSULAR AGENCY, Port Hope, May 1, 1891. ST. JOHN, N. B. REPORT BY CONSUL SAMPSON. An approximate estimate of the number of staves used annually is 7,000,000, of which amount 5,000,000 go into lime barrels and the balance principally into fish barrels and nail kegs. The value of the limebarrel staves may be placed at $3 per 1,000; the fish-barrel staves at $4 to $5 per 1,000; the nail-keg staves at $1.75 per 1,000. Staves manufactured from spruce timber for all barrels are in the greatest demand. The source of supply is the province of New Brunswick, and the cost to consumers about $3 per 1,000 for lime-barrel staves, $4 to $5 per 1,000 for fish-barrel staves, and $1.75 for nail-keg staves. The condition in which staves should be delivered in order to command the best price and give the best satisfaction is to tie them in bundles and dry them. They are sawed principally by a circular saw and jointed. The dimensions of the staves in use vary according to the purposes to which they are applied. For lime barrels they are 29 to 29 inches in length, 3 to 5 inches in width. For fish barrels they are 29 inches in length and average 4 inches in width; nail kegs, 19 inches long and 23 inches wide. The timber most desirable for all staves in use here seems to be spruce; at least spruce is almost exclusively used. The supply of staves is fully equal to the demand, which is almost entirely local. No American staves are sold in this consular district. Under the recent tariff law the lime industry, as far as the exportation of the product to the United States is concerned, has declined very sensibly, and this fact will make a great change for the future in the number of lime-barrel staves used in this district. About 1,000,000 staves are used in this consulate annually; value, about $4 per thousand. Hard wood only used. Supply is liberal; cost as above. The staves should be delivered ready to be set up in barrels. Dimensions of staves used are 4 by 30. The kind of timber, beech, birch, and elm. No American staves are sold in this district. Supply abundant. Staves in this district are manufactured by (1) Dominion Lime Co., who make only part of what they consume for lime barrels, and (2) Cookshire Mill Co., who furnish balance required by the former (who use the poorer qualities) and supply the Cookshire Flour Mill Co., who use 3,000 barrels annually, made of the best quality of staves. Cookshire Mill Co. have now on hand 150,000 first-quality flour barrels, in the knock-down. UNITED STATES CONSULATE, Sherbrooke, Canada, March 28, 1891. J. A. WOOD, Consul. STRATFORD. REPORT BY VICE-CONSUL HIRST. There is but one cooperage in this district, and that is confined almost exclusively to the manufacture of flour barrels. They use annually about 1,000,000 staves and the value is $5.50 per thousand. The kind in greatest demand is elm, though white oak is used for what is termed "tight work," such as beer, spirit, and oil barrels. As to the source of supply, Ontario furnishes all required here, except white oak, which is procured in Michigan and Indiana. The cost varies according to the different sizes. Staves should be dry and what is termed No. 1 or free from blemish to command the best price and give the most satisfaction. |