32 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



stock, with quartered showing an improving 

 tendency. Ash is ni fair request, poplar is 

 selling well for the season, gum has a better 

 sales record than for some weeks past, and 

 Cottonwood box boards are moving in a sat- 

 isfactory way at steady prices. The general 

 tendency of the market is toward a more 

 active demand and stronger prices in the near 

 future. 



Louisville. 



Evidently tlie Hardwood Dimension Stock as- 

 sociation lias been bringing forth good fruits. 

 for the abundance of inquiries being received 

 by local manufacturers for small dimension stock 

 indicates pretty clearly that bargain hunters in 

 this line are finding the trade awake to the 

 necessity of higher values and consequently are 

 not able to take up as much stock as they want 

 at former prices. Buyers of car material are 

 hustling too. both for dimension stock in oak 

 and poplar, but the trade here is not anxious to 

 load up with orders, as operations in the woods 

 have been hampered considerably and there is 

 not much certainty about what may be accom- 

 plished in the way of making deliveries in the 

 Spring. Dry poplar is doing its best to live up 

 to the predictions made at the Hardwood Manu- 

 facturers' meeting, and especially the low grade 

 stock is climbing right along. Plain red and 

 white oak are as good as gold dollars, and 

 auartered is doing very well. Cypress has been 

 In very good demand lately and. in fact, if there 

 is a dull item on the hardwood list it has not 

 been mentioned. Gum is not dull, but simply 

 is not bringing the price it should. As Kentucky 

 gum does not run much to red, there is little 

 effort being made apparently to sort it out and 

 realize higher values on clear stock. There is 

 a good volume of gum moving, but it is prac- 

 tically all in the sap common class as far as 

 this market is concerned, which means approxi- 

 mately $15 f. o. b. Louisville. Some of the 

 local people who get out red gum in Mississippi 

 say that prices on this product have been jump- 

 ing a little lately, and that good common stock 

 with the clear red taken out is now worth $17 

 f. o. b. Louisville. 



Kansas City. 



Trade in hardwoods here, which has been 

 rather quiet since the first of the year, is 

 improving, and there is now quite an active 

 inquiry, indicating that the spring business will 

 be fully normal or better. The large amount 

 of building projected at Kansas City warrants 

 the expectation of an unusually heavy local de- 

 mand, although a fear is expressed that the 

 high prices of the better grades of hardwoods 

 and the continued upward tendency will curtail 

 the demand to some extent. Buyers from all 

 parts of the country have been scouring the 

 sontbern mill districts since the first of the 

 year for stock, and It Is stated on good authority 

 that practically all the dry lumber In the hands 

 of the mill men Is now sold and that it will 

 be about six months before any new stock can 

 be counted on. 



The mills have encountered considerable bad 

 weather since the first of the year. High water 

 and soggy woods have made it impossible to 

 log to advantage, and at this writing cold 

 weather is Interfering with the operations of 

 Arkansas mills. With a big demand In sight, 

 the mills are In as poor a position, if not worse, 

 than a year ago, and it looks as If the supply 

 will be far short of the demand during the 

 entire spring season. The car supply in the 

 south has Improved somewhat of late, and while 

 there Is still cause for complaint, shipments 

 have been coming forward more promptly dur- 

 ing the past two weeks than since early last 

 fall. 



Advances seem to be the order of the day, 

 and nearly everything has an upward tendency. 

 Louisiana cypress has been advanced from .fl 

 to t- per thousand, and Arkansas cypress will 



likely follow suit shortly. Plain oak Is scarcer 

 than ever, and those who have any in shipping 

 condition are holding same at fancy prices. 

 There is no weakness in the hardwood markets, 

 and from present indications prices will be 

 higher before there are any declines. 



NashvUle. 



An activity that may be termed "feverish" 

 properly describes the condition of the local 

 lumber market. Dealers all say they never 

 remembered such busy times before and all 

 are pleased with the outlook. The river is 

 high and with a full tide and a swift current 

 much good timber is being brought down. 

 It is said that the timber coming down this 

 season is much better than usual, lumbermen 

 along Obed. Caney Fork. Wolf and Roaring 

 rivers going back further in the woods and 

 getting bigger and better logs. 



All the sawmills are running overtime in 

 order to keep up with the big demand. There 

 is only a fair supply of plain and quartered 

 oak, dry stock, and local dealers are kept busy 

 sawing in an effort to keep even. The river 

 mills are depending on the tides of Cumber- 

 land river to keep them in timber and they 

 are getting enough now. however, to supply 

 them for quite a while. 



Low grades of poplar are stronger than 

 usual, which is probably due to the fact that 

 advances have been made recently in such 

 woods as cypress and the low grades of Cot- 

 tonwood, that have been heretofore used as 

 substitutes for low-grade poplar. High-grade 

 poplar, as usual, is In excellent demand. Ash 

 and chestnut are very firm as to price. Good 

 chestnut is hardly to be had at any price. 

 The present favorable condition of the river 

 is expected to last for several months. Be- 

 fore low water comes again a vast amount 

 of timber, some of which has been cut for 

 many months, will be rafted to Nashville or 

 brought down in the two boats that are 

 running regularly now. 



Memphis. 



Hardwood conditions here continue healthy, 

 with a notable increase in the number of 

 inquiries as well as in the resultant volume 

 of business. Stocks of dry lumber are much 

 broken in a number of items, and this is prov- 

 ing somewhat of a handicap, as more lumber 

 could be sold if prompt deliveries could be 

 assured. Prices are firm in every direction, 

 and it is reported by many in the export trade 

 that the foreign trade is making offers on a 

 better basis than for some time, thus increas- 

 ing business in that direction. Holders are 

 pressing nothing for sale. In fact, the ten- 

 dency is rather in the other direction, which 

 is only another way of saying that prices 

 which were acceptable a short time ago are 

 now being turned down. 



There has been no marked improvement in 

 logging and milling conditions. Some in close 

 touch with the production end of the situation 

 declare that even with favorable weather for 

 the next few months, there is little probability, 

 of a return to normal stocks of hardwood lum- 

 ber until late summer or fall. Just now there 

 is a very cold wave In the south. This has 

 frozen the ground and makes it impossible to 

 use "lizards" m handling logs, while the 

 ground is not frozen sufficiently to enable the 

 use of wagons and teams for hauling. How- 

 ever, as cold waves here do not last long, lum- 

 bermen are hopeful of better conditions soon 

 In this respect. 



There Is no didlculty in selling plain oak In 

 any grade or thickness. In fact, the only dif- 

 ficulty in connection with both red and white 

 l>Iain sawed stock lies In securing sulllclent 

 quantities to supply the demand. Testimony 

 of lumbermen here on this point is strikingly 

 unanimous. There is a very firm tone to plain 

 oak prices, wllli the tendency upw:ird. Ash 



is in excellent call in all grades and thick- 

 nesses, and the volume of business is rather 

 above the average for this time of the year. 

 Stocks are not large and there is no surplus 

 in any direction. The call for cypress is 

 exceptionally good, the demand running to 

 everything from firsts and seconds through to 

 shops. Offerings are only moderate in dry 

 stock and the quantity on sticks is not large, 

 thus making for a prospective shortage in 

 supply, a phase which gives added strength 

 to this wood. 



Cottonwood is in excellent demand at en- 

 hanced values. The mills cutting this lumber 

 are practically out of business, and the supply 

 is lighter than for years. The better demand 

 is for wide firsts and seconds and for box 

 boards. Gum is giving some evidence of im- 

 pro^'ement. The movement is showing some 

 increase, but prices are not working upward 

 as rapidly as some of the trade had antici- 

 pated. There is a moderate movement In low- 

 grade poplar, while the higher grades sell with 

 comparative ease. Quarter-sawed oak is 

 somewhat slow. There is a better demand for 

 white than for red, but neither is moving as 

 rapidly as usual at this season. 



Minneapolis. 



Large users of hardwoods, especially oak, 

 are beginning to take notice of the scarce 

 supply, and inquiries are many. Local dealers 

 do not have large stocks to offer, and even the 

 present light demand will clean them up be- 

 fore many weeks. It begins to look as though 

 buyers who put oft providing for their wants 

 will face a famine. Prices on oak have be- 

 come much stronger during the past week or 

 two. Birch sells fairly well and is about station- 

 ;iiy in price, as the offerings of stock seem sufl5- 

 cient to supply the wants of the trade. Bass- 

 wood seems to be getting scarce, and prices 

 are stronger. The upper grades are firm and 

 culls have advanced. There are few culls in 

 accessible places to be had, as the box trade 

 has been after them strong, and shipping culls 

 would now bring $15. In fact, one large order 

 was recently placed at that price, the last the 

 dealer in question had or could get. Elm Is 

 selling readily. In all lines there Is early figur- 

 ing being done on the winter cut, and some 

 contracts are being placed for the uncut lum- 

 ber. 



In retail yard circles the chief demand Is 

 for wagon stock, which is firmer than ever 

 in price, and hard to find In any quantity. 

 Flooring is not active as a while ago, and the 

 season seems about ended, though It will start 

 up again earlier than usual in the spring, on ac- 

 count of the way building operations are being 



crowded. 



London. 



The market for American hardwood lumber 

 has been greatly disturbed, owing to the elec- 

 tions, buyers having been busy supporting their 

 particular candidates. 



It Is difiicult to interest yardmen in lumber 

 at the moment, as the furniture trade is slack 

 and most of the stock arriving Is already dis- 

 posed of under contract. 



Prime whltewood boards are In fair demand, 

 and buyers are more inclined to pay the slight 

 lulvancc In prices asked by the shippers' agents. 

 Planks are diflicult to sell and arc not realizing 

 even fair value. 



Oak planks for wagon building are In good 

 deninnd and as the stocks here arc not large, 

 buyers are more ready to pay the much ad- 

 vanced prices asked. Prime boards arc scarce, 

 but the stock of lower qualities Is ample, as the 

 demand has slackened. The recent advance 

 In the price of European oak will tend to help 

 llio higher prices of Amcrlcjin. 



Walnut boards nnd planks In common grades 

 nrc in fair dcmnnd nnd iirrivnls are not at all 

 plontlful. Satin walnut cimtlnues to realize 

 full prices. 



