There are probably as many different kinds of bottles as there are types of trees. I was both enthralled and aghast at the varieties. The one I'm sharing today is a "Cucumber" or "Torpedo" ballast bottle.
From what I could gather from collector's books and web searching, it was usually mineral water and occasionally soda waters that were contained and sold in this type of bottle. The rounded base prevented storage in a vertical position which ensured that the cork was kept moistened by the liquid.
Whether it is lore or fact I am not completely certain it is alleged that once a family emptied the bottles, they were sometimes given to indentured, enslaved, or other workers so that they could carry water in the fields. This would reduce at best the amount of time a worker would visit a water bucket, thus, reducing working time lost.
This bottle was donated by Mr. Carlton "Tex" Webb in 1994.