HARDWOOD RECORD 



33 



Buffalo. 



I'hc liaiuw(Ki<l ti:nle iTi lUiffalo and vicinity 

 is active. The iletiuiiul is bi-islv aud prices fof 

 practically the enlii-o list .ire firm. It is tnie 

 lli:ir basswood and elm aie still quiet, but they 

 ;irc improving: and promise to sell freely before 

 lon.ir. 



Tiiere is a change for the worse in white ash. 

 which has lately become so scarce and it is 

 feared that the end of it as a wood meeting its 

 <I"iiiand is very near. Unless a belter supply is 

 lound soon it will .loin black ash as an occasional 

 woiid in the regular marl;et. 



Oak is rather stronger, if only on account 

 of the scarcity of chestnut. I'rices are tirmer. 

 so that dealers who have been complaining of 

 the loyp values are now in a measure satisfied. 

 Logs are as high as ever and lumber must re- 

 luiiin up to command a profit. 



There is still much activity in poplar and 

 cypress, mostly on account of the high price of 

 all sorts of pine. It is hard to get a full supply 

 of them and the railroads are about as slow as 

 I he selling yards. It is hoped that the prices 

 will not go so high that the northern consumer 

 will drop these woods, as he did poplar some 

 years ago. 



Everybody wants cherry, but it takes an ex- 

 pert to 13nd enough of it to make an all-round 

 >>lock. Walnut is still scarcer, but there is a 

 little of it here. Dealers in gum and cotton- 

 wood say that there is a better market for them 

 south than there is here. 



Detroit. 



While hardwood manufacturers seem to feel 

 that they ought to get a share of the benefits 

 arising from the boom conditions with which 

 all kinds of construction woods have been fa- 

 vored, it is nevertheless a fact that many of the 

 hardwoods are still hard to sell, and prices by 

 lut means satisfactory. This is especially true 

 • i( soft maple, thick hard maple, birch, soft elm 

 ;in(l beech. No honest observer of the hardwood 

 market in this vicinity can deny that the above 

 woods are in no better position than two years 

 ago. while elm is decidedly worse off than for 

 some years. As stated in these reports recently, 

 there has been an improvement in cull hard- 

 wood, which is now being used to some extent 

 for construction purposes. 



Saginaw Valley. 



Hardwood lumber is lirmly held aud there 

 is a good movement for the season. A good deal 

 more has been doing iu maple than last year, and 

 flooring manufacturers have secured good stocks, 

 while the local factories are all busy. Two 

 rlooring plants uortli of Bay City are doing a 

 nood business, the product being shipped through 

 I'.ere, and about IL'.OOO.OUO feet of maple stock 

 for conversion into flooring is shipped from Gray- 

 ling to Detroit. Another flooring mill Is ex- 

 pected to be built at Johannesburg this season. 

 Prices for maple are regarded as satisfactory 

 aud the flooring men are reporting a good trade. 

 .\ good deal of maple cut here goes into agri- 

 cultural implements aud some into furniture, 

 .^sh is always firm aud the quantity available 

 limited. There is also au improvement in beech 

 and birch, both in price and demand, and a good 

 movement is looked for when the spring opens. 

 A good deal of beech goes into flooring and 

 screens and it has worked up quite a standing 

 iu these lines. Elm has been a little slower, 

 owing to the slump in the cooperage business the 

 last year, but it is showing up better now. 



Some ten million feet or more of basswood 

 goes into woodenware stock on this river, there 

 being two of the largest woodenware plants in 

 the world in the valley, and large qitantities of 

 basswood are handled by local lumber dealers in 

 addition. The market for this wood is ma- 

 terially improved. 



There is no excess in dry stock of any variety 

 of hardwood, and the market conditions all along 

 the line are healthy. 



Indianapolis. 



The demand for hardwoods in this market 

 still renuiins firm, while i)rices are steady. Many 

 of the dealers report limited supplies of dry 

 stocks on hand, but so far they have been able 

 to furnish lumber for all buyers, no matter 

 what kind was demanded. 



Until (he past ten days the w-eather has been 

 pleasant, but one of the biggest snows of recent 

 years fell last Sunday and was followed by an- 

 other in a couple of days, almost as heavy. This 

 has naturally had its effect upon tlie lumber sit- 

 uation. Huilding operations, which have con- 

 tinued practically uninterrupted all winter, both 

 in Indianapolis and other cities of the state, 

 were temporarily suspended. But within a week 

 or so they will be resumed with increased activ- 

 ity. In Indianapolis just now there are prob- 

 abl.ii more large buildings under course of con- 

 struction or to be begun than at any correspond- 

 ing period in the city's history. It is predicted 

 by ardiilects and others acquainted with the 

 trade that operations this year will keep well 

 up to the high standard set last year. 



In view of the splendid conditions in the 

 city's building industry, Indianapolis lumbermen 

 are holding decidedly optimistic views for a 

 good business in their line this year. 



Bristol, Va.-Tenn. 



Trade conditions continue good ; in fact, it 

 seems to be the consensus of opinion among local 

 lumbermen that 190(i will be one of the best 

 years in the past decade. It is declared by 

 those of experience that present conditions fore- 

 shadow a business which they believe will be 

 very satisfactory to all. The demand is brisk 

 for all varieties of hardwoods and prices are 

 well maintained. 



Cincinnati. 



The luirdwood mariiet continues in excellent 

 sluape. The demand during the past fortnight 

 has been gradually improving — a characteristic 

 of the market for the last tsvo mouths. lieports 

 received from mill points in Kentucky and West 

 Virginia are to the effect that logs are running 

 heavily, owiug to good tides. These loss will 

 r)e cut immediately and a large percentage of the 

 limber sent to this market to relieve the short- 

 age in yard stocks. A strike of plumbers and 

 kindred tradesmen is a possibility, but otherwise 

 tlie labor situation is rosy, where in past years 

 .Vpril has been ominously awaited by the hard 

 wood trade. 



Prices of al! hardwoods remain firm, with a 

 tendency toward a higher level. There has been 

 some improvement in the export trade, but the 

 greater part of orders is from domestic sources. 

 Plain o,ak iu desirable thicknesses has maintained 

 its position as the best seller and with available 

 stocks hard to find sales have been made at 

 fancy prices. Common oak has been rather quiet 

 aud prices have not kept pace with the values 

 of the better grades of plain oak. The liiglier 

 grades of <iuarter-sawed oak were in excellent 

 request and continued paucity in the supply re- 

 sulted in a strong position for these grades. 

 Lower grades of white oak have had only a fair 

 call and no more can be said for quarter-sawed 

 red oak. However, stocks are in strong hands 

 and buyers have had to meet former figures to 

 secure stoclis. Cypress, ash and chestnut luivc 

 sold readily at top prices. The movement iu 

 Cottonwood has been brisk and though it is less 

 ditticult to get unbroken supplies in large quan- 

 tities quotations reflect a very strong market, 

 lied gum has been in urgent request for all 

 grades and prices exhibited a hardening ten- 

 dency. The poplar situation is favorable : no 

 (rouble being reported in getting buyers for the 

 offerings at sellers' figures. 



Chattanooga. 



A suflicient supply of dry stocks is the di- 

 lemma which confronts lumbermen iu this city. 

 The situation Is becoming serious and causes 

 lumbermen no little worry. The famine is at- 

 tributed to the bad roads, the scarcity of cars 



and tlu> tact that there has been no logging tide 

 to speak of on the Teunessee river since last 

 .luue. There is now, however, a light tide in the 

 river due to the recent rains, and it is hoped 

 tliat the situation will be relieved somewhat. 



St. Louis. 



Hardwood market conditions here are improv- 

 ing steadily. The demand exceeds the supply, 

 and nearly everything in the hardwood line is 

 favored with a pretty steady call. In truth, 

 local dealers have nothing to complain of on tlie 

 score of demand, which is quite as large for some 

 classes of stock as can be conveniently handled. 

 There is promise of a much greater activity, 

 when the weather conditions are better. The 

 receipts of February while they showed improve 

 raent over those of .lanuary are a little disap- 

 pointing, and this condition will prevail uniil 

 they have better weather at the mills. Undi'r 

 such conditions local dealers are not pusbiui; 

 business, as they are persuaded that there will 

 he demand enougli later on for everything they 

 can furnish. 



Nashville. 

 In spite of the fact that large quantities nt 

 lumber have been brought down the Cumberlaml 

 during the recent heavy tides, stiff prices still 

 maintain in practically all lines, and as fast 

 as the timber arrives it is readily taken al 

 market prices. It is estimated that G.OOO.ium) 

 feet of timber have been brought down during 

 the present season, most of it being oak, chesi 

 nut and poplar. When it is figured that some 

 of the big lumber plants here use SO.OOO.iHin 

 feet a year it can readily be seen, however, that 

 what has come down the Cumberland recently is 

 not a "drop in the bucket" compared to the 

 sum total that is being brought into Nashville. 

 The local market remains quite active. The de- 

 mand for low grades of timber has cleaned the 

 market in that particular. Even the local box 

 people are skirmishing after stuff. Nashville 

 is now shipping low grade stuff to people who 

 have heretofore been using cheap northern stocks, 

 such as basswood and pine. Plain oak is re- 

 ported as booming and all available dry stock 

 is sold. Chestnut is quoted at top prices. If 

 any wood couid be said to drag at all it is quar- 

 tered red oak. It the prices on plain red oak 

 advance much more, however, the price will 

 equal the present asking price of quartered red. 

 It looks as though quartered red at present 

 values will prove a good investment for dealers. 

 Tlie cold weather has not served to deter build- 

 ing operations to any great extent and the 

 local mills are all working overtime to get out 

 their finishings. The outlook for renewed activ- 

 ity in the building line is most promising. 



Memphis. 



Hardwood conditions in Memphis are healthy, 

 according to both manufacturtrs and wholesalers. 

 The foreign trade is showing improvement, hut 

 the best demand is from domestic consumers. 

 Stocks of dry lumber are generally much lighter 

 than they have been for years at this season, 

 and this, together with the excellence of the de- 

 mand, is making for higher prices. There have 

 been heavy rains throughout the Memphis hard- 

 wood territory during the past few days, which 

 Iiave interfered to some extent with production. 

 Most of the mills are operating full or part time, 

 and altogether the rate of production, barring 

 the handicap already referred to. is iu excess of 

 that of February. 



.\sh and cypress are regarded as among the 

 best sellers of the list. There is no considerable 

 quantity of either available for immediate ship- 

 ment, with the result that excellent prices are 

 i.btainabie. Ali grades of these woods are scarce 

 and all are in good demand. 



Plain oak continues an excellent seller at 

 the recent level and offerings are very light. 

 The higher grades are in better demand than 

 the low'er. Quarter-sawed white oak in the 

 higher grades is a moderate seller at steady 



