flaMwooil RecoM 



Published in the Interest of Hardwood Lumber, American Hardwood Forests, Wood Veneer Industry, Hardwood Flooring, 

 Hardwood Interior Finish, Wood Chemicals. Saw Mill and Woodworking Machinery. 



Vol. XIX. 



CHICAGO, FEBRUARY 10, 1905. 



No. 8. 



flflMiSMRQCoM 



Published on the lOtb and 25(b of each montb 



By The HARDWOOO COMPAINY 



HENRY H. GIBSON President 



FRANK W. TUTTLE Sec-Treas. 



OFFICES: 

 Sixth Floor Ellsworth BIdg., 355 Dearborn St., Chicago, III., U.S.A. 



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General Hardwood Conditions. 



There is uo partirular thauge to note concerning hardwood market 

 conditions prevailing throughoiit the United States and abroad. The 

 weather of the last fortnight in most sections of the country has been 

 iinpropitious for the ;u'ti;al raoyement of verv much lumber. Both the 

 East and Middle AVe?t have been in the midst of blizzards and heavy 

 snow storms. Market conditions as reportad from individual trade 

 centers ali over the country are still remarkably optimisUe and trade 

 is surprisingly good considering the season of the year and the in- 

 clemency of th? weather. There is a looking about from all con- 

 suming districts for hardwood lumber with which to supply the pro- 

 spective spring demands, and orders are already being placed with 

 a good deal of freedom for nearby delivery. 



The one story prevalent in the Chicago hardwood market' is that 

 trade is good for the season of the year and that all things indicate 

 a strong and healthy future demand. 



The Blight readjustment of values made by the manufacturers at 

 the annual meeting of the HaiKlwood Manufacturers' Association of 

 th3 United States two weeks ago has had but a slight effect on market 

 conditions. Most dealers and consumers seem to be willing to read- 

 just their valu?s in accordance with the very conservative policy 

 employed at this meoting, and there are no objections raisedi from 

 any source that any action pertaining to grading or prices was 

 drastic or revolutionary. 



Buyer.5 generally r 'cognize the fact that certain items of 

 hardwoods, especially plain white and red oak, are extremely scarce 

 and are going to continue scarce for a good while. 



Xjcquestionably poplar is in remarkably short supply so far a» 

 lumber actually in pile is concerned, both in first hands and at 

 consuming points; and it is almost remarkable that poplar prices 

 still range as low .is they do. ()ii the other hand, the upper streams 



of many of the poplar producing sections are full of logs, and if 

 reasonable tides prevail in the Kentucky rivers there is going to be 

 a normal stock of poplar lumber by midsummer. This matter of 

 getting poplar logs to the mill is alwiiys a conjectural one, and in 

 view of the uncertainty of the situation it would not be surprising 

 if poplar showed a marked accretion in value very soon. 



Quarter-sawed white oak and quarter-sawed red oak of the ordinary 

 quality and width will probably not show any material advance in 

 price for some time to come, as there seems to be a stock of these 

 woods that is fully up to, if not beyond, requirements. Makers of 

 furniture are not using quarter-sawed oak in the relative quantity 

 that they formerly did, as they have learned that an intermixture 

 of quarter-sawed and plain-sawed stock produces a line of furniture 

 that will command as high a price as all quarter-sawed. 



Agaiu, there is an increased demand for mahogany in furniture- 

 making, which wood still remains low in relative value. The ma- 

 hogany fashion is taking to itself quite a portion of the former 

 high-class oak trade. 



Hard maple in present and prospective stock seems to be fully up 

 to the requirements of trade and the price is ranging low. Logging 

 conditions in the North 'during the winter have been excellent only 

 iu a comparatively small portion of the maple-producing country, 

 from Cadillac, Mich., and northward to the Straits of Mackinac. 

 Northern Wisconsin and the northern peninsula of Michigan have 

 been buried so deep in snow that logging has been very slow and 

 so expensive that a good many operations have been abandoned for 

 the year. Again, as maple stumpage has fallen into such com- 

 paratively few hands, a good deal of conservatism has been observed 

 by the larger operators, and undeniably the general log output of 

 the winter will be less than normal. By deduction tlie Hardwood 

 Record prophecies -i marked increase in value for maple by the 

 opening of navigation. 



Basswood and cottonwood, whose values are always influenced by 

 the price of poplar, will naturally take the trend of poplar value*. 

 Elm, bircil and ash are all still low-priced woods, and are unques- 

 tionably a purchase at present values. 



Both red and tupelo gum are showing a marked increase both in 

 production and it consumptive demand, and will do much better 

 in the consuming markets of the country before the year is over. 



Hickory is rem.irkably scarce and the recent advance of $5.00 a 

 M. is not at all revolutionary. 



Universal Hardwood Inspection. 



As the hardwood lumber industry of this country progresses with 

 time and experience there seems to be a growing sentiment in favor 

 of a universal liardwood lumber inspection that shall provide for a 

 just and equitable means whereby hardwoods may be impartially in- 

 spected. 



There is manifest on the part of manufacturers, jobbers and con- 

 sumers that some such universal system shall be put in effect to the 

 end that manufacturers may know exactly the requirements of 

 the jobbing and consuming trade, and that the jobbing and con- 



