When in the Catskills last summer the writer saw for the first time a hammock made of a barrel. It was painted red and looked very cheery and inviting hanging under the green boughs; the two colors, being complementary, harmonized beautifully.
This hammock was made of a piece of strong rope twenty feet long threaded in and out of barrel staves, and was substantial and durable. The construction of such a hammock is very simple. Remove the top and bottom hoops and nails from a firm, clean barrel. Then before taking off the remaining hoops draw a pencil-line around both ends of the barrel, being careful to have the marking three inches from and parallel to the edges; this is for a guide when making the two holes in each end of all the staves. Bore the holes with a five-eighth of an inch augur or a red-hot poker, using the pencil-line as a centre; leave an equal margin on both sides of the staves, and at the same time enough space in the centre to preclude all danger of breakage.
Fasten the staves together by threading the rope through the hole from the out side of the first stave, then across the inside of the stave down through the other hole (see illustration). Continue threading until one side is finished, then in like manner thread the other side. Knock off the remaining hoops and the staves will appear as shown at bottom of illustration. Tie the two ends of the rope together and fasten loops of rope on both ends; these should be of sufficient length to conveniently swing the hammock. When threading the staves let the rope be loose enough to leave a space of an inch or so between each stave when the barrel is spread out in the form of a hammock.
In this way you can have a serviceable hammock, the cost of which will be about twenty-five cents and a little labor.
