This section is from the book "The Home Cyclopedia Of General Information", by Charles Morris. Also available from Amazon: Home Cyclopedia of Necessary Knowledge.
A cylindrical receptacle made of grooved staves bound together by hoops, and with heads fastened by dowels. The staves are planed, bent, and grooved by machinery. The name barrel includes keg, cask, pipe, hogshead, and butt. Over 1,300 millions of staves are made annually in the United States, chiefly of red and white oak and elm.
 
Continue to: