36 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



old stock they had on hand, and that it is prac- 

 tically impossible to tind any dry lumber at 

 the mills not already spoken for. Fairly good 

 weather has prevailed in the mill country for 

 some weeks, and as a rule they are running 

 quite steadily. The stock they are now getting 

 out. liowever. will not he in good shipping con- 

 dition for several months, and indications are 

 that to meet the demand, a good percentage of 

 lumber will have to he shipped green and kiln 

 dried after reaching destinalictn. 



I'rices are lirm all along the line, and values 

 range higher tlian a month ago. The recent 

 general advance in Louisiana cypress was fol- 

 li'wed almost Immediately by a corresponding 

 advan<-e on the Arkansas product. I'lain white 

 oak is bringing from ?3S to .^40 at the mills, a 

 rec'ord price, and quartered oak, which has been 

 rather weak as ctmipared with other items of 

 hardwood, shows .1 liriner tendency. Xo. 1 com- 

 mon gum, which formerly was a drug on the 

 market, has advanced about $2..'iO per thousand 

 within the past thirty da.vs. and is being sold 

 freely for box purposes in place of cyi)rcss and 

 Cottonwood, owing to the high price of the 

 latter. I'^irniture factories are buying oak and 

 gnni freely, and are using more elm than dur- 

 ing any previous season. in brief, everything 

 in the way of hardwood is in demand for one 

 purpose or smother and there are no weak spots 

 in the market. 



Memphis. 



Demand for soutliern hardwoods continues 

 active. Stocks of dry lumber are much broken. 

 and that there is more difBculty in securing the 

 necessary lumber for the prompt tilling of orders 

 than in securing the orders themselves is tlie 

 opinion expressed by a majority of the trade. 

 Tliere is improvement in the conditions under 

 which production is l)eing carried on, as there 

 has been comparatively little rain during the 

 IIBSt eight weeks. Thus, the output is now- 

 larger than it has been for some time, but it 

 affects the prospective supply of lumber and has 

 little or no bearing on the scarcity which is 

 now so pronounced. 



Trices are lirm in every direction, and prac- 

 tically all members of the trade are of opinion 

 that the.v will continue so for some time. There 

 is a slight increase in tlie number of inquiries 

 from abroad, particularly for specialties, but the 

 greater part of the business being put through 

 now is from domestic buyers. They are in the 

 market on a liberal scale and they are not balk- 

 ing on the question of prices. 



I'lain oak is stiil in very strong iiosition. There 

 is llitle to be had and what is available is held 

 al prices Ihat are even firmer than heretofore. 

 There is some movement in <iuarter-sawed while, 

 especially Ibe higher grades, but the lower grades 

 01' this wood and all grades of (|uarter-sawed red 

 oak have but a limited demand, with the move- 

 ment Bomewluil sluggish. 



There Is a ready demand for cypress wlilcli 

 ranks next to plain oak In point of strength. The 

 produitlon of this wood is somewhat limited Ibis 

 season, and manufacturers and wholesalejs are 

 llndlng not a little difficulty In securing the nei- 

 ea.sary stock for tilling orders. Ash Is another 

 strong Item, l)elng in excellent demand at top 

 prices. There has probably been no tluu' In 

 recent years when ash moved out In all grades 

 at better prices and with greater freedom. 



(,'ottonwood Is firm, with an upward tendency. 

 The lower giiides arc relatively scarce, while 

 the demand for them Is excellent from box men 

 aiul allicrl iMerests. The uppei* grades are also 

 hard lo obtain In large quanllties. and some buy- 

 ers are anllclpallng by buying for fulnre dellv 

 ery. Oiim Is liiirenHlng In demand, and ihere 

 is now a good movement In Ibis lumber, exlend- 

 Ing lo all grailes. Trices are showing a leufl 

 ency toward llrninesK, and there are few cheap 

 lots of gum fo be had anywhere In Memphis 

 (errllory. There has been practli'ally no change 

 In the poplar situation during the (last fort- 

 Dighi. 



Nashville. 



l"or most lumbermen tlie month of Kehruary 

 has been one of the best In the history of 

 Xnshviile, with regard to business done. JIany 

 firms report thai business was one Inindred 

 per cent greater than in February, I'.Ui.'). The 

 same feverish acdvlty that characterized the 

 lumber market during the past month contin- 

 ues al this Itme. ISuyers are not merely look- 

 lug about, but are buying briskly and paying 

 stiff prices for what they get. as nearly every 

 grade and kind of timber is bringing more than 

 ever liefore. 1'lu> river has a nice tide on now 

 and all the tow boats and barges arc bringing 

 lumber down. Many inquiries for Uiiuhcr are 

 being received by ail the dealers. The building 

 boom which was on last year In Nashville, aiul 

 which made btisiness so good for lumbermen in 

 general and wood workers and finishers in par- 

 ticular, continues unabated and indications are 

 that the advent of warm weather will witness 

 even more strenuous times in this respect. 



r.olli plain and quartered oak are bringing 

 top-notcl\ i>rices. White oak is in better de- 

 mand than red, but the latter is expected to 

 jump as soon as the stock of quartered white 

 is reduced. There is hardly any dry stock of 

 poplar, the lumbermen being cleaned up on No. 

 2 and No. 3 common. Ash is scarce and dr.v 

 stock is very high. Chestnut is hard to get and 

 is bringing good prices. Other woods are hold- 

 ing up well and everything looks good for fine 

 business in .March. 



Bhinelander, Wis. 



Tire hardwood situation here is full of promise. 

 With a good crop of logs, prices advancing and a 

 strong' demand, there seems to be nothing in 

 sight to change the tide of prosperity. Nearly 

 all the mills in this section cutting hardwood 

 are at work and turning out lumber. Considerahli' 

 rock elm is being shipped out green from lack of 

 dry stoi'k. The K. Soudheimer t"omi)any of Mem- 

 phis, through its agent, Moses Katz of Wausau, 

 lias contracted for the cut of several mills, ami 

 ships it out as fast as sawed. There is great 

 competition tor sui)piies of rock elm. and prices 

 have been advancing steadily for about two 

 months. 



Hard maple is a good deal better than it has 

 been for several years; the price is about the 

 sunu<. but the demand is much better. There is a 

 good deal of it at the mills, but it is moving 

 off well, and there will be little dry stock in two 

 months from now. Thick maple sells the best, 

 althcnigh the flooring factories are taking in a 

 good deal of inch. Nearly all the new cut has 

 been contracted for by jobbers at varying prices, 

 according to the (puility. which varies hi ditTcrent 

 localities. 



Jiry Imsswood is in good (Icmnnil, Iml the stock 

 Is fast melting away, and there is bill little on 

 hand. Trices have advanced very mutcrlally In 

 the past three months, more in culls than In the 

 betler grades. There Is no belter wood than 

 basswood for certain purpo.ses, Iml the lil^jli 

 prices of three years ago drove It out of ihr mar- 

 kef, and laitorles used southern woods as sub 

 stifutes, but now that southern stock has ad 

 vanced It lets basswood back Into Us old terri- 

 tory, and It Is being slilpiied Info the ICast, to 

 some of Its old friends. 



lilri'h Is no! selling as wi'll as It ought ; Ibiue 

 seems to be- no furnlliiri' demand for II. and In 

 fncf the furnltun- con<erns are not buying niuili 

 of anylhing I'xcept a lllllc' ash and oak, and 

 these are very si-arce. The jilanlng mill deuuind 

 tor blrc;i has not sfarti'd yi'l. although It will 

 I roliably jilck up Ibis month, and there will be 

 a very heavy frnde In Ihls wood. Some birch 

 Is iH'Ing shipped lo .New Voik points ami some 

 Into luflbina. 



The logging season, despite the Ihaw of a week 

 ago. Is not iloHed by any means. The hauling Is 

 now Ihe bi'sf It has been this year. The Ingram 

 Liiuibcr Company of Ingram, Wis., hauled In a 



load of nearly 20,000 feet recently. There were 

 130 logs on it, hemlock and hardwood ; it takes 

 a good road and a solid bottom to hold \ip such 

 loads as this. 



Minneapolis. 



Small dry stocks left in the hands of Ihe 

 mills and a curtailed input of logs this winter 

 combine fo make the price situation very strong. 

 Trade is steady and everytidng sold is going 

 Into consumption. There is no speculative buy- 

 ing. Tlie movement of stock is stronger tlian 

 usual at Ihis lime of year, and this is especially 

 true of shipments to retail yards. Yard stock 

 has been allowed to run low. but retailers are 

 buying heavily for their spring trade, and are 

 tiiiding wagon stock, flooring and other staple 

 materials so scarce and high-priced that they 

 are considerably flustered, and are sending In 

 their buying orders. Oak, eiin and maple are 

 leaders in this trade, but birch is also called for 

 in flooring and finish. 



Spring building is starting with a rush. 

 Minneapolis buikliug permits f<n' February came 

 near fo .5800,000 in value, and were more than 

 double the same month last year. Considerable 

 winter building has heen favored by the mild 

 weather, and is now ready for finish lumber. 



The furniture factories are doing a nice busi- 

 ness, and while they arc not taking stock in any 

 large amount, they are in the market fre- 

 quently. Oak, birch, elm and basswood are all 

 brisk. Oak is advancing and sales of red oak, 

 first and second clear, have been made recently 

 at decidedly stiff prices. Buyers are glad to 

 get it. whatever the price. Birch is running 

 lower, and birch culls are now out of the market, 

 the same as basswood. The ujiper grailes of 

 basswood are getting scarce, and are noticeably 

 firmer in price. 



LouisvUle. 



Buyers of hardwood who have been looking 

 for bargains in this market are now curbing 

 their exijectations a little, and coming back 

 with lietter offers only to lie confronted with 

 further advances on the part of wholesalers. 

 This is especially notable in dimension stock 

 since the meeting of dimension manufacturers 

 at Cincinnati and the boosting of prices at that 

 time. It has had a salutary effect on the bar 

 gain hunters and on trade In general, because 

 all now reai'ze that there is no room for low 

 prices in the hardwood market just now. Also 

 In addition to good business in tlie regular 

 channels of trade in hardwood the great scar- 

 city of yellow pine is leading to a more exten- 

 sive use of hardwood in tlie building trades. 

 Various country po'nts, for example, are making 

 use of the native hardwoods for all manner id' 

 purposes, making red gum Into structural lum- 

 ber, siding, and flooring, handling lieecli in the 

 siinie luiinncr. and. In short, utilizing many of 

 the native woods that have heretofore been 

 negle-ted by the building trade. To sum up In 

 a few words, the market Is in excelleni condl 

 lion for the producer and promises to continue 

 so all spring, the only drawback being the 

 diiHciilt.i to get stock or even raw mali'rlal lo be 

 iiiainifaclured. 



liOiidou. 



niiii-iliill Jic Sims. In a 1 cut circular, report 



tbal for .Viuerican lilack walnut logs of fair 

 sizes fliere is a moderate demaiul. but none fiT 

 small or rough logs; stocks In planks and 

 boards are fairly light and tlu-re Is a good 

 general demand lor all gra<lcs. 



.Vuierlian whitewood logs, largi' and pi line. 

 In small paici'ls wouhl sell wi-ll : i"i planks 

 tllerc' Is lllulted demand, bill phin.'d Im.iiiiIs of 

 prime graile. mioIit "iic lioli in tlibUnoss. arc 

 scarce and wanted. 



The mahogany situation Is sallsl'actoiy ; llic 

 lour aiii'tlons this year being all well altendcil 

 Comnetliloii was good and prices firm, with 

 an upward tendency for belter class wood. Ar 

 rivals have heen moderafe and there Is no hirgi'. 

 unsold stock of any description. 



