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Published m the Interest of the American Hardwood Forests, the Products thereof, and Logging, Saw 

 Mill and Wood-Working Machinery, on the 10th and 25th of each Month, by 



THE HARDWOOD COMPANY 



Henry H. Gibson, Editor and Manager 

 Edwin W. Meeker\ , 

 Hu Maxwell J 



/-Associate Editors 



Entire Seventh Floor Ellsworth Building 

 537 So. Dearborn Street, CHICAGO 

 Telephones: Harrison 8086-8087-8088 



New Y( 



BOTANI 



QAKOI 



CHICAGO, JANUARY 25, 1913 



Vol. XXXV 



No. 7 



Review and Outlook 



General Market Conditions 



In telling of hardwood conditions throughout the whole of the 

 hardwood producing field, one needs go no further than to say 

 that the buyers, who are everywhere evident where there is any 

 lumber to be taken up, do not ask, in looking for stock: "What 

 is the price?" but put the question rather: "Can you deliver the 

 stock?" 



This is the greatest concern of the shippers and receivers of 

 hardwood lumber, and there is every reason to believe that this 

 will continue to be the paramount consideration for several months 

 in the future. If steadily increasing demand or abnormal shortage 

 of stock alone featured the hardwood trade, it would be safe to 

 predict that there would be an accumulation of stock within a 

 few months, but with both these conditions decidedly manifest, 

 the situation assumes a different aspect. Hardwoods are scarce — 

 decidedly so. 



Plain red oak continues to be the shortest of all the staple 

 items in hardwood, with plain white oak a close second. 



From the gum producing territory comes word that the slight 

 recession in demand for red gum, which has been felt up to within 

 a short time ago, has been cheeked and this wood is again coming 

 back strongly. Sap gum is finding increasing favor in the eyes of 

 the consuming trade in various lines, and is today one of the 

 strongest items in the hardwood field. 



Quartered oak continues to show increasing vitality. Values 

 have jumped during the last three months an average of between 

 three and four dollars a thousand. One concern, whose plants are 

 in Missouri, and which makes a specialty of high-grade quartered 

 oak in large quantities, says that three dollars is a conservative 

 estimate of the advances in this stock in the last three months, 

 but this is only in keeping with the increased demand and firmer 

 values that have marked the entire trade. 



Flood conditions have somewhat affected shipments, although 

 only temporarily, but the same conditions have resulted in ex- 

 tremely wet logging which will probably be another factor in 

 operating to prevent any abnormal production of hardwood stock 

 in the South during the early spring months. 



All the northern mills are operating on full scale, but the con- 

 tinued active demand and the shortage which has marked northern 

 stocks for some time will absolutely prevent undue piling up of 

 stock at northern points. Reports from Michigan points indicate 

 that stock of all hardwoods and even hemlock on hand is more 

 than fifty per cent less than for .January 1, 1912, and much of this 

 is already sold. 



The Flood Situation in the South 



Unusually heavy rains throughout practically the entire territory 

 east of the Mississippi river during the last few weeks have 

 resulted in an unusual amount of water passing through the Mis- 

 sissippi and its various tributaries. The section which experi- 

 enced the most severe flood conditions was that lying along the 

 Ohio river. It cannot be said, however, that as far as the lumber 

 business is concerned, any serious hardship in the matter of 

 flooded plants has been experienced, although in a number of cases 

 plants have been inundated to a considerable depth. This condi- 

 tion is not generally true, however. The main difliculty has 

 resulted from the interruption and in some cases the absolute 

 suspension of traffic because of the inundated state of tracks and 

 terminals. This has tied up business rather effectively in some 

 quarters and while it has not resulted in any huge loss directly, 

 it has effected considerable inconvenience to a great many members 

 of the trade. 



In the Memphis and Arkansas territory no great anxiety was 

 felt during the height of the flood period. The Mississippi at that 

 point reached a stage of about thirty-eight feet. This is three 

 feet beyond the danger line and as a result lands outside of the 

 levee district were overflowed to quite an extent. No great damage 

 was done, however, as where valuable stock was in a threatened 

 position, the owners had time to remove it. Some of the yards 

 experienced pretty wet conditions and a few of the plants were 

 shut down on account of high water. 



At Cincinnati the chief trouble was encountered in making 

 shipments, on account of extensive rains which washed out bridges 

 and tracks, and made freight handling extremely difficult. Two 

 or three plants in the hardwood, veneer and similar lines were 

 flooded entirely, while in other cases high water made it extremely 

 difficult to operate in the vicinity of the plants and they were shut 

 down temporarily. No great damage was done, however, in any 

 case, and the loss in lumber is practically negligible. 



At Louisville, on what is known as "the Point," several 

 concerns were forced to shut down because of flooded plants, but 

 no great loss was experienced. As at Cincinnati, the greatest 

 hardship resulted from the inability to make shipments on orders. 

 In some cases considerable quantities of high-grade stock were 

 threatened by the rising waters, but it was possible to remove the 

 stock to safer quarters in time to prevent its being flooded. For 

 the most part, valuable machinery that would have been affected 

 hy inundation was removed in time to prevent diipiage. 



In the Ashland district very little damage was inflicted upon 



