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(Continued)
"Middlings," "Longpipe," "Shortpipe,'' "Hogshead" (which are used chiefly for sugar casks and packing hogsheads) and other sizes known as "Barrel," "Kilderkin," "Firkin," "Long Pink" "Five feets," "Short pink," "Tambril," "Threes," "Twos," and "Ones" - referring to three, two or one gallon casks - for use in dry and tight work of every sort.

The hoop bender at work chooses out two lengths of wood and bends them together between a pair of iron jaws until they fit inside a standard hoop called a "shive", then the ends are fixed with wire or twigs, and the hoop is ready for use. The actual bending is generally hand-work, but is sometimes done by machinery.

All work is done on piece, Winter is more busy than summer to supply the demands of coopers on new work, but employment generally is rather casual, and there are several men who do other work and only come back to bending when that is brisk. Hoop-bending is hard work, and the men must have strong arms, and know by experience how much strain a given piece of wood will bear. An average man in a regular situation will earn 28s per week. In slack times if a man can get employment at all he must not expect more than 15s, or half a week's work, but, when very busy, a young and fast worker has been known to make over 40s.

1854 was the annus mirabilis for both coopers and benders, so much merchandise of one kind or other being then packed in barrels and sent off to the Crimea.'

'The trade of the cooper is divided into wet, dry, white and general coopers. The wet (or tight) cooper makes every kind of vessel used for the reception of liquids. The dry cooper, on the other hand, makes the casks used to contain dry goods and packages generally. The white cooper forms tubs, pails, churns, and similar articles, while the block or general cooper, is practised in all of these branches.'

After describing the selection and skilful shaping and jointing of the staves in making a wet or tight cast, he continues:-

'The staves being thus 'jointed' or prepared, are fitted one to another round a block; a 'head hoop' afterwards encircling them, and holding them all in one round. 'Truss hoops' are then applied, which

(Continued)

The following extract from Henry Mayhew's article in the Morning Chronicle of the 12th September 1850 describing coopers and their work includes the following details of the fitting and functions of the different kinds of hoop:-

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