48 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



of being undermined by a sharp competitor and 

 losing some good contracts. Every eCEort is be- 

 ing made to educate the trade up to a new sys- 

 tem of prices, but in the interim buyers are 

 naturally chary of buying hardwood lumber be- 

 yond actual needs. Prices in all standard woods 

 of all grades have held firm, and In some in- 

 stances of an extra scarcity of stOLk, values 

 have moved upward. The trade is hopeful that 

 the hardwood manufacturer will not blindly 

 force figures up to prohibitive values, and -so put 

 a checlc rein on the neclc of a dawning pros- 

 perity. 



Oalv continues to be the leader ; quartered oalt 

 iS' gaining, and chestnut of all liinds is in good 

 demand. Birch and maple are maliing new 

 friends ; poplar holds steady and ash is fairly 

 active. The veneer and mahogany markets are 

 in good shape. 



PITTSBURGH 



So far as demand is concerned, the hardwood 

 market in Pittsburgh was never in better shape 

 than just now. There is even more inquiry than 

 two months ago. Of course there has been a 

 drop in the orders and inquiries from yards due 

 to the inventory season. On the other hand, pur- 

 chasing agents of factories, corporations and 

 railroads are putting in big requisitions for 1913 

 stock. The tendency is toward large orders and 

 early delivery is demanded. Prices on this ac- 

 count are going up instead of going down. A 

 few purchasing agents and yards are holding off 

 from placing their next year's contracts in the 

 hope that prices will tumble. According to 

 wholesalers, however, this is a vain hope. There 

 is no possibility, they say. of prices for good 

 hardwoods being lower than at present, for all 

 mills are rushed. The car shortage is not quite 

 so bad as two weeks ago but shipments are still 

 slow and wholesalers are quoting very cautiously 

 on orders where early delivery is required. 



BOSTON 



There has been no abatement in the strength 

 of the hardwood market. Demand in this market 

 has been of fair volume but buyers are not an- 

 ticipating their wants to any extent. The short- 

 age of cars has handicapped both bu.vers and 

 sellers for a month or two and reports from pro- 

 ducing centers state that cars are still scarce. 

 Manufacturers continue to hold prices with a 

 great deal of strength. Their stocks of dry 

 lumber are small and the majority of manufac- 

 turers show no anxiety to make sales. Money 

 is much firmer, which may result in some manu- 

 facturers trying a little harder to make sales. 

 So far there has been little indication of the 

 money market affecting the price of hardwood 

 lumber. 



Manufacturing plants which are large con- 

 sumers of hardwood have been fairly busy. Those 

 plants making office furniture have been doing 

 a large business. There has also been a strong 

 demand for veneers and the plants producing this 

 class of stock have been running very full and 

 have a good volume of orders on hand. 



In the market for plain oak there is consider- 

 able strength. JIany sales have been made at 

 the top price. Quartered oak continues to sell 

 well at firm prices. Maple is in very fair call 

 and well held. Walnut is in small offering and 

 prices are high. Cypress has been in rather 

 moderate demand. Some lots have been offered 

 at slightly lower prices. 



BALTIMORE 



ter, but that if the weather should be such as 

 to interfere with the operation of the mills to 

 any extent, the assortments practically all along 

 the line will be short. The car situation is bet- 

 ter than it has been, only the southern roads 

 being in a position where they cannot supply 

 cars in anywhere near the required number. 

 The northern lines generally are in fair shape, 

 and while some delay occurs, no real embargo is 

 now encountered. With respect to steamship 

 facilities, a decided improvement has also taken 

 place, although it is to be said that the volume 

 of lumber and logs going over on the other side 

 of the Atlantic is so large as to tax the space 

 available on steamers. At the same time, the 

 heavy forwardings do not appear to have an 

 unfavorable effect upon the foreign markets. 

 All of them appear to be taking lumber and logs 

 in such quantities that there is really no sur- 

 plus, and the interest shown in stocks tends 

 to keep the quotations decidedly firm. The for- 

 eign buyers even feel that the situation warrants 

 them in going up and meeting the terms of the 

 exporters, who are obliged to advance their 

 prices because of the sharp rise in the ocean 

 freight rates and other expenses. 



Apart from the ocean rates, the quotations in 

 the domestic market are also on the upward 

 trend. All grades of chestnut are strengthen- 

 ing. Even sound wormy chestnut is in good re- 

 quest at satisfactory figures, although the ad- 

 vance in this grade has been moderate. As far 

 as can be learned, the mills arc still in the 

 position where they dispose of their product as 

 fast as it can be turned out, and much lumber 

 is being shipped before It is dry. Oak has per- 

 haps never before been higher, and 'the interest 

 in this wood is most active, both here and 

 abroad. Export planks are being taken up with 

 much" freedom, and the mills are getting very at- 

 tractive margins. The whole range of poplar 

 is acceptable, if extra wide lumber be excepted, 

 the price for such stocks somehow keeping ap- 

 preciably below the figures which they should 

 bring. In the main, however, the trade is in 

 fine condition, and the mills are doing all they 

 can to expedite operations, as the buyers are 

 evidently ready to take up any more lumber. 



Even the most conservative members of the 

 trade will admit that the hardwood business 

 keeps up in a surprising manner, and the view 

 is now generally accepted not only that there 

 will be no excess of stocks throughout the win- 



C INC INN ATI 



reason to believe that the present heavy demand 

 will continue. High prices are the rule for all 

 grades of hardwood flooring. 



The poplar trade is considered fair but not 

 quite what dealers would like. All low grades 

 are in very heavy demand, and considerable 

 trouble is experienced in supplying No. 2 and 

 No. 3 common, both bringing top prices to the 

 consuming trade. Trade in No. 1 common and 

 better has been only fair for several months, 

 although lately the demand had improved some- 

 what. Wide stock also is a little slow. South- 

 ern manufacturers do not seem to have any 

 large stocks in any grade, and claim to be well 

 supplied with orders. 



Building operations are still active. More in- 

 terior work is on hand for the finishers for the 

 winter work than for several years and the 

 planing mills are sure to be kept busy getting 

 out this class of material. Wholesale dealers 

 are doing a nice trade with the millwork men 

 in rough lumber of all kibds from which this 

 finish is produced. 



There is a very strong tone to the hardwood 

 market. All items on the list are selling well 

 nud dealers are having more trouble in locating 

 desirable stocks than they have to dispose of 

 them. Prices are very strong, especially plain 

 oak, which is gaining in strength almost daily. 

 Quartered oak, too, is showing much improve- 

 ment and has passed from a drag on the mar- 

 ket to a very good seller at the present time. 

 Cottonwood in No. 2 and 3 common is the hard- 

 est hardwood to secure, and many dealers are 

 not selling it for the present, at least, as it is 

 impossible for them to get supplies from the 

 mills with which to fill their orders. Red gum 

 has had the call all season and is now in a very 

 strong position, as is also sap gum, all grades 

 of which are moving fast at good prices. Ash 

 has become one of the best sellers on the list 

 and thick stock is very scarce. Much buckeye 

 is being used as a substitute for cottonwood 

 whenever is can be obtained, and numerous other 

 woods not formerly used to a great extent are 

 finding a market. Maple is in great demand, as 

 is also basswood, which is hard to obtain. All 

 yard men report low stocks and while stock is 

 coming in a little faster, owing to the easing 

 up of the car shortage, the demand is so strong 

 that little can be accumulated. However, deal- 

 ers expect to be able to stock up fairly well in 

 order to take care of the expected good spring 

 business. 



Hardwood flooring dealers are still doing a 

 capacity business. Shipments during the past 

 week have been unusually heavy and there is 

 bound to be a steady demand all winter. Mills 

 are all running full time and there is every 



TOLEDO 



While th.ere has been some little falling off 

 recently in the demand for hardwoods from the 

 building trades, the f.actory demand continues 

 to exhibit a healthy activity. There is a heavy 

 call from the interior finish concerns, and fur- 

 niture and vehicle factories are using heavily 

 of oak, hickory, ash and poplar. Poplar is quite 

 plentiful on this market and there is consider- 

 able hickory coming in from the Southwest. Oak 

 in dry stocks is hard to get and local stocks are 

 running low. There are plenty of oddfe and ends 

 on the market but dry stock in oak in wanted 

 sizes is scarce and hard to get. Prices continue 

 the same as heretofore. 



The boxing ^concerns arc heavy users this sea- 

 son and have plenty of business. Flooring con- 

 tinues in unusually good demand and is bringing 

 satisfactory prices. The car situation continues 

 bad and shipments arc extremely slow. 



INDIANAPOLIS 



Hardwood dealers over the state are showing 

 a tendency to hold off placing orders for re- 

 plenishing their stocks for a while, in the belief 

 that prices will break before long. Inquiries 

 made among the manufacturers and wholesalers 

 disclose that a decrease in prices at any early 

 date is improbable. 



While the car shortage is still on, hardwoods 

 are moving a little better than they were a few 

 weeks ago. Prices are steady and the demand 

 among the retailers is fairly good, but the manu- 

 facturers and wholesalers are complaining be- 

 cause the dealers will not take hold. 



The present year has been fairly satisfactory 

 to local hardwood interests. 



MEMPHIS 



Business in hardwood lumber continues of very 

 satisfactory proportions. Nearly all of the 

 wholesalers and manufacturers here say that 

 they are able to sell practically all of the lum- 

 ber they are in position to offer and that it has 

 been more difficult to secure cars and also to 

 find the necessary lumber in shipping dry con- 

 dition than to obtain orders. In fact, the latter 

 have been coming in with a rush for the past 

 few weeks in nearly all items on the hardwood 

 list and the volume of business has been about 

 as large as could be expected under the cir- 

 cumstances. It Is also noteworthy that prices 

 have been unusually well maintained. There has 

 been no accumulation of hardwood lumber, par- 

 ticularly in shipping dry. during the past few 

 weeks, and none is anticipated in the near 

 future, if the lumber is being shipped out as 

 rapidly as it is in condition. 



