34 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Local exporters are well pleased with the 

 prospects of the foreign markets and all are 

 making arrangements looking to a material 

 increase in the volume of their foreign busi- 

 ness. The export business has greatly in- 

 creased in Bristol and this section within the 

 past two years until it has become a leading 

 feature of the lumber business. 



Memphis. 



Demand for hardwood lumber continues ex- 

 cellent and there is a large volume of busi- 

 ness. The amount of dry stock is consider- 

 ably below the average for this time of year, 

 tBus interfering with prompt delivery In some 

 cases. Stocks on the local yards are broken 

 and holdings in territory tributary are also 

 short, due to the unfavorable conditions sur- 

 rounding production during the fall and winter. 

 There is some increase In the call for lumber 

 from export sources, but the bulk of the de- 

 mand is still from domestic centers. Prices 

 are firm in every direction, with the tendency 

 upward. There is nothing pressing for sale : on 

 the other hand, orders are being turned down 

 because of the inability of manufacturers and 

 wholesalers to guarantee delivery at the time 

 desired. 



The railroad situation is O. K. so far as 

 Memphis is concerned, but some companies 

 operating in the interior state that they are 

 unable to get empty cars placed or loaded ones 

 moved with proper dispatch. They do say. 

 however, that conditions are not so unfavorable 

 in this respect as they were a few weeks ago. 



Plain oak is still in active demand. In fact. 

 the call for it appears to be well-nigh insatiable. 

 while the amount available is somewhat limited. 

 Prices are as high as they have been at any 

 time this season. Quarter-sawed white oak, in 

 firsts and seconds, is in slightly improved re- 

 quest at current figures, but there is very little 

 business doing In common white or in any 

 grade of quarter-sawed red, the latter item being 

 one of the dullest of the list. 



Ash and cypress are in excellent request and 

 the movement of both is as rapid as the limited 

 offerings allow. The demand is for all grades 

 and thicknesses. The call for cottonwood/con- 

 tlnues good and there is a considerable business 

 being put through both for spot and later ship- 

 ment. Offerings in dry lumber are somewhat 

 light but some of the trade are going on the 

 theory that there will be better weather and 

 consequently increased production in a short 

 time. The demand for gum lumber Is good and 

 prices are quite steady at the recent level. It Is 

 reported on reliable authority that one firm 

 here this week turned down an order for 400,- 

 000 feet of gum, and another firm states that 

 It has had to turn down orders for nearly 1,- 

 000,000 feet. The higher grades are relatively 

 firmer than the lower, but the latter are moving 

 with greater freedom than usual. High-grade 

 poplar sells without difficulty, but there Is not 

 a brisk movement In the lower grades. 



There Is some Improvement reported In weather 

 and logging conditions, with the result that there 

 Is a slight increase In the output of hardwood 

 lumber. This It Is thought by some will relieve 

 the situation but the more general sentiment 

 Is that It will require a great deal of fine 

 weather to bring stocks back to anything like 

 normal. 



NasIivUle. 

 Local lumbermen report an Increase In busi- 

 ness for January, lOOG, over that of January, 

 1905, of fully seveDty-flve per cent, and they 

 claim that the month of February will be more 

 than one hundred per cent Increase. This gives 

 an Indication of the acllvlty prevailing In the 

 Nashville market at this time. The tendency 

 Is toward higher prices. There Is a scarcity 

 of dry stock of all kinds of woods. There is 

 almost no chestnut, and plain red oak Is said 

 to be very scarce, with little dry stock. The 

 same Is reported of plain white oak and the 



stock of quartered white oak is being rapidly 

 diminished. Poplar Is quoted as very brisk, 

 although there are no firsts and seconds In dry 

 stock on the market. Other grades are lively. 

 The railroads are bringing most of the timber 

 Into the city now as the river has fallen and Is 

 clear and low, somcthlnE unusual for this time 

 of the year. Should a tide come again there 

 will be a big rush to get timber down to the 



dealers. 



Indianapolis. 



The hardwood conditions in Indianapolis 

 continue eminently satisfactory to the city's 

 dealers. Lumbermen say, further, that the 

 prospects are O. K. for a splendid business 

 during the coming spring. There is a strong 

 demand for hardwoods, with prices high and 

 the probability that they will be higher by 

 spring. The furniture factories throughout 

 the state are very busy; all are running full 

 time and some overtime. This makes so good 

 a demand for hardwoods that it seems very 

 probable that Indiana producers and dealers 

 will be entirely sold out of dry stocks by the 

 first of June. 



Plain and quartered oak continue the leaders 

 in demand. This class of hardwood lumber led 

 all otliers during practically every month last 

 year, and it seems that "history will repeat 

 itself" this year. 



Chattanooga. 



The only thing that is worrying local lumber- 

 men now is dry stocks. It appears that there 

 may be a famine In dry stocks unless the 

 situation begins to open up soon. It is be- 

 lieved here, however, that the mild weather of 

 .lanuary and February will allow logmen to get 

 their logs to the market and relieve the situation 

 soon. Lumbermen all say that they have more 

 orders than they can fill, and that it looks as 

 if the demand is going to be greater than the 

 supply this spring. 



There is a strong demand for high-grade pop- 

 lar, oak and chestnut, and all these grades are 

 bringing the best prices ever known. Because 

 of the scarcity In oak lumber, furniture manu- 

 factories here have advanced prices on their 

 products. 



The building outlook is unprecedented in this 

 city. Every planing mill is simply overrun with 

 orders and there has been such an active de- 

 mand for building material within the past 

 year that many mills have increased their ca- 

 pacity. 



Local mills will not cut their average stock 

 this year because of a shortage in the log sup- 

 ply. Tliere Is great activity among buyers from 

 the north, also from Furope. but they are find- 

 ing little to encourage them there. There has 

 been little complaint about the shortage of cars 

 during the past fortnight. 



Minneapolis. 



Wholesalers are not used to doing business In 

 February on any extensive scale, but they arc 

 finding this month an exception. Trade Is not 

 as brisk as It Is at some seasons, but It Is not 

 by any means dull. The factories arc In the 

 market for some kinds of stock as fast as It can 

 be offered. Northern oak Is so nearly exhausted 

 that It Is hardly a factor any mure, and south- 

 ern oak, while offered In plenty. Is slow of dc 

 livery. On account of rains and fiverflows, the 

 southern mills are unable to get stock shipped 

 and dealers here are having a great deal of 

 difficulty In taking care of the needs of their 

 customers. Prices are stronger than ever on 

 the oaks. ISasswood Is enhancing In value. Culls 

 arc cleaned up, for all practical purposes, and 

 upper grades are scarcer now than they have 

 been In several years. With the reduced output 

 expected fills winter, basswood promises to be 

 stronger all season. 



The birrli supply Is large, but It Is moving 

 In good quanllty. The scarcity and high price 

 of oak has turned builders to birch almost en- 

 tirely where It can be used for Interior finish. 



and this has helped the birch market materially. 

 Rock elm, which furniture men have used 

 largely in place of oak. Is now as scarce as oak, 

 and ash Is also not to be found In dry stock. 

 Maple In every description is enjoying a good 

 sole. The factories are taking it and are laying 

 In stocks of the dry lumber for fear of a short- 

 age. Retail yards are calling for wagon stock, 

 and the steady building activity is creating 

 constant demand for flooring. Dealers are mak- 

 ing connection with all the flooring they can, 

 anticipating a big sale this spring and summer. 

 Retail yards are taking considerable hardwood 

 in mixed cars, which are going out at an un- 

 usually lively rate. This is the heaviest shop- 

 ping I'ebruary dealers can remember. The car 

 liullding and repair shops are still taking con- 

 siderable oak and other hardwood. 



Louisville. 



It begins to look as If the trade has finally 

 waked up to the fact that quartered oak Is not 

 as plentiful as it has been. Quartered oak 

 has picked up considerably of late, and prices 

 have advanced a little. It has not been bargain 

 selling so much as it has been a more active 

 inquiry that has caused a marked Increase In 

 the sale of quartered oak during the past week 

 or two. Stocks of quartered oak are light as 

 the mills have been neglecting this item during 

 the past year and have been so busy with plain 

 oak that they have not accumulated anything 

 like the usual amount of quartered. Quartered 

 oak is now considerably improved and it looks 

 as if there are still more active times ahead. 



Plain oak and ash are in very active demand, 

 the call almost equal to the supply in each case, 

 lied oak is showing remarkable strength com- 

 pared to its past history. There are pretty 

 good times here in the oak market all the way 

 round. The roads south of here, especially in 

 Tennes.see, are in better shape for hauling than 

 they have been any time this winter, and as a 

 result stock Is moving in from country points 

 at a very satisfactory rate. The tone of Im- 

 j^rovement in poplar continues, with every in- 

 dication pointing to stronger markets and bet- 

 ter values through the spring months. The 

 stiffening of prices on poplar applies to prac- 

 tically all grades. Generally speaking, the hard- 

 wood market as a whole has probably never 

 been in a better condition than at the present 

 time. Reasonably fair prices obtain on all 

 hardwood products, and the volume of stufi; 

 moving Is quite satisfactory. 



Liverpool. 



.Alfred Dobcll & Co., in a February circular, 

 report that stocks are light and the position of 

 the market warrants hopeful anticipations. The 

 import of round southern oak has been very 

 light, and demand Is good, with prices very 

 lirni. Only a small quantity of naltlmoro waney 

 logs has been received, meeting with quick sale 

 at full prices. Consignment parcels of wagon 

 planks have been eagerly bought when good, 

 but interior planks are not wanted. Inquiry 

 for first quality coffin planks Is brisk. 



Walnut logs and boards have arrived mod- 

 eratel.v, and demand Is excellent, with prices 

 remaining good. Wliltewood logs have not been 

 able to meet the demand. In first quality. For 

 jilanks and boards demand Is only fair, as un- 

 sold stocks are heavy. Tlie Import of ash and 

 hickory has been unusually light and high prices 

 have been paid for what has arrived. Staves 

 have been received In larger quantities than 

 formerly and the demand has proportionately 

 Increased. 



There Is an excellent call for stocks of ma- 

 hogany (of good quality, and lu Honduras, 

 • lualenialan, I'anama ond Cuban varieties ship- 

 ments In good sizes and handsomely figured 

 would Pome to a welcoming iimrkct. 'Hie cedar 

 Import has been light. Rosewood Is seldom In- 

 quired for. Satlnwood demand Is confined to 

 logs of large size and beautifully figured. Only 

 prime thin sapped llgnuni vita- Is In request, 

 but such Importations would bring full prices. 



