46 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



/ *'Evei*ybody can sing whe 



^ 



cure 



LUMBER 



"Everybody can sing when they have 

 anything to sing about." — Barrie. 



^ We have a right to sing about both 

 Kraetzer-cured Lumber and the Kraet- 

 zer Preparator, bj' means of which it is 

 produced, but — we know 



"The bane of many a good idea has been the 

 intemperate zeal of its exploiters." — Cooley. I 



Hardwood men in general regard the outlook as very promising with 

 the exception of the delayed shipments which are sure to be reported 

 in the near future. 



A KRAETZER PREPARATOR 



Hence — 



^ While we assure you that Kraetzer- 

 cured Lumber is vastly superior in qual- 

 ity to that seasoned by any process 

 previously employed ; and that it can be 

 produced at a saving in labor, time, in- 

 terest on investment, insurance, taxes, 

 less weight and shrinkage, and higher 

 quality of from $3.00 to $4.00 a thou- 

 sand feet. Yet — 



^ We don't ask you to believe us, but 

 do ask you to let us send you the names 

 and addresses of all owners of Kraetzer 

 Preparators, to every one of whom we 

 can confidently refer you for commen- 

 dation of both the process and the eco- 

 nomical and satisfactory working of the 

 apparatus. 



The Kraetzer Company 



537 S. Dearborn St. CHICAGO, ILL. 



\ \ 537 S. Dearborn St. 



cure 



LUMBER 



=-< BUFFALO y 



The hardwood trade has been very fair during the past month, the 

 main difficulty having been the getting hold of stock. Buffalo has been 

 very well favored in not having any flooded conditions to affect its 

 hardwood yards, and for this reason is well supplied with dry stocks 

 in the various woods most wanted. Dealers believe that this will insure 

 good business here during the next month or two. Already the unfor- 

 tunate conditions prevailing elsewhere have resulted in turning mor^ 

 attention than usual to the stocks held by the Buffalo dealers. 



Trade has been best in the same woods as have been active for some 

 time, including plain oak, ask, birch and maple. All are very firm in 

 price. Furniture manufacturers as a rule are busy, and as they have not 

 bought largely present conditions in the flooded districts are expected to 

 lead to larger buying from the furniture factories within a short time. 

 Activity is also likely to be quite marked in the building line this spring, 

 as plans have been made for a good deal of construction work. 



-< PHILADELPHIA > 



There has been no change of any magnitude in the hardwood situation 

 since last report. A fair volume of new business is coming in and values 

 are well sustained. Consuming industries continue fairly busy, but 

 buying proceeds on a conservative basis as many buyers believe there 

 is still the probability of a break in prices ; although apparently there is 

 no sign to justify such a prediction for the near future at least. On the 

 contrary, weather conditions in some of the southern and middle west 

 logging sections can interfere to a considerable extent with the manu- 

 facturing of lumber. The wise wholesaler is not losing time in wasteful 

 forebodings, but is securing himself wherever an opportunity permits 

 of closing a deal for standard stock. Building work of the operation 

 class has not advanced as rapidly as expected owing to a fear that as the 

 legitimate winter months had been so mild, there would be a lap-over 

 of cold weather into spring. At the first sign of settled weather this 

 branch of business will proceed with vigor. There has been no suspension 

 of the general construction work during the winter. 



There is some fear of a possible forcing of values on plain oak to a 

 prohibitive height, which will necessitate a search for substitutes. The 

 stock of oak continues scarce, and the tendency is upward in price ; 

 quartered oak is still strengthening ; ash is making new friends : sound 

 wormy chestnut is advancing, and inquiries multiply ; high-grade chestnut, 

 although not keeping pace with some of the other woods, holds firm ; 

 poplar unweakened ; birch and beech are In good call. The veneer and 

 mahogany markets maintain good reputation. All low grades are pretty 

 well sold til"). 



=-< BALTIMORE >= 



Whatever may he said of other divisions of the lumber trade, hard- 

 woods are not ouly holding their own, but the advance in prices seems 

 to continue and there are good reasons for assuming that the highest 

 figures have not yet been reached. One of the matters that are receiving 

 consideration now is the possible effect of the floods and cyclones in the 

 Middle West. There can \>e no doubt that great quantities of lumber 

 will be required to repair the daniage done, which can hardly fail to 

 cause such a heavy drain upon the sources of supply as to send values 

 to still higher figures. As it is, the range of the quotations is very firm, 

 with stock so small that dealers are unable to provide adequately for 

 their needs. Inquiry at the mills elicits the information that generally 

 the producers have no extensive stock to draw upon. In various divisions 

 of the trade the manufacturers are entirely sold out, while the demand 

 keeps up and the search for lumber goes on. Even with the production 

 at its maximum now, some time must elapse before any marked im- 

 pression could be made upon the situation. For the present the inquiry 

 appears to run ahead of the output ; at any rate, practically all the 

 members of the trade could dispose of large quantities of lumber If 

 they were obtainable. Both the millmen and the wholesalers are con- 

 fronted by the difficulties of the situation, which are in the main that 

 no one can tell exactly what lumber is really worth. If the wholesaler 

 takes an order without having the slocks needed to fill it, he may easily 

 find himself in the position of having to go on a diligent hunt and pay 

 more than he gets. Great care and caution are necessary now to avoid 

 actual losses. 



Even extra wide poplar is coming into its own once more, a marked 

 improvement in prices having taken place. Poplar men find an explana- 

 tion for this in the reports that the automobile builders are going back 

 to wood for bodies in place of the sheet steel which they have been 

 using. They have found by experience that wood makes a more elastic 

 construction, is lighter and does not rattle, which is the case with the 

 steel bodies. Especially in the higher grade cars there is said to be a 

 noticeable tendency to go back to wood as having various important 

 advantages over metal. Oak is higher than ever, with prices evidently 

 still going upward, and the foreign markets not at all congested, although 

 the export movement has been quite heavy of late and seems to be on the 

 increase. Sound wormy chestnut is still finding ready takers ; in fact. 



