26 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



logs are scarce and logging coLditions do not 

 improve very mucli. Wlif;e there is no rril- 

 rcad to assist in collectics loss they are liUt'y 

 to come in very slowly for awhile. 



With the demand for oak leading quite as 

 decidedly as formerly there is a steady demand 

 for other hardwoods. Maple is strong; chest- 

 nut is moving, good following the lead of sound 

 wormy ; birch is never in excess of the demand ; 

 ash sells as well as the light supply warrants : 

 elm is as strong as ever, and basswood will 

 be more active when its season is on. Notii- 

 iug drags in hardwood. 



roplar is in light supply and demand, with 

 the futiue of the cue not assured till the spriug 

 freshets decide it. Manufacturers say .hat Ihey 

 have obtained a moderate supply with ever;, 

 former thaw, but there has been none of late. 

 Cypress is stronger and dealers in .mm and 

 Cottonwood report that their late sales have 

 reduced stocks considerably. So it appear,, that 

 the lumber trade is most uncertain as regards 

 the supply. The demand is good all along (he 

 fine and Buffalo dealers are all well prepared 

 til meet it. 



the past month with the maple floor manu- 

 facturers is that they are not able to take 

 ■prompt shipment" orders for this market. 

 Three and one-fourth inch face maple flooring 

 is quoted strong at $35 and 2% inch face at 

 .$31. The stock "to get here when it arrives." 

 An improved demand for elm is noted, but 

 as the supply is limited and uncertain there 

 is no prospect of its being much of a factor 

 in the market. 



Detroit. 



Hardwood trade conditions in Detroit still 

 continue rather quiet, but a strong spring 

 movement is anticipated. Maple is about the 

 only wood that shows a marked improvement 

 in demand. 



A pronounced revival in the maple flooring 

 industry has had the effect of cleaning up a 

 large portion of the stock in the warehouses 

 of the flooring factories. 



Michigan brown ash has almost disappeared 

 from many sections of the state, but Detroit 

 desired wood. 



Boston. 



The wholesale dealers have, as a rule, had an 

 unusually large volume of business from manu- 

 facturers of interior woodwork, the majority 

 of the orders, however, being placed for late 

 delivery. The amount of building contracts 

 awarded for construction enterprises throughout 

 New England from .Tan. 1 of this year to date 

 is $10,498,000. The contracts awarded during 

 the corresponding period of 1904 amount to 

 $8.341!,000. An increase this year of nearly 25 

 per cent over the figures of last year, although 

 this year's figures are slightly less than those 

 for the corresponding period of 1903 ($10,- 

 639,000). 



The retail trade is very quiet and the dealers 

 find little cause for rejoicing except for a good 

 prospective business, which is reasonably as- 

 sured by the statistics as given above. The 

 general outlook for the year of hardwoods is 

 satisfactory, barring labor troubles, if the hard- 

 wood manufacturers are not overeager to ad- 

 vance prices the moment a good beginning is 

 made. 



The demand for mahogany for car building 

 is excellent and it is a foregone conclusion that 

 mahogany prices will be restored to where they 

 were last year by an advance of one-half cent 

 per foot. Whitewood is just holding its own 

 with prices running from $46 to $50 for inch 

 firsts and seconds, with $48.50 the probable 

 price level for a standard grade of choice stock. 

 The supply of plain white oak is growing 

 "small by degrees and beautifully less," and it 

 appears to be one of the stocks that cannot be 

 sold short at present. This is also true of 

 brown ash. Plain oak is being quoted at $49 

 to $51 for inch firsts and seconds. Quartered 

 white oak inch firsts and seconds ranges from 

 $75 to $82, according to the excellence of the 

 grade and the beauty of figure. Brown ash is 

 something of a curiosity even at $50 for inch 

 firsts and seconds. White ash is in fair sup- 

 ply, but with a light demand at about $47 for 

 the best grade of boards. 



Maple flooring continues in good demand, but 

 with practically no receipts ot shipments. It 

 Is evident that one result of the storms of 



Philadelphia. 



The leading hardwoods show a greater activ- 

 ity than any time during the winter, denoting 

 the coming of spring. The factories are be- 

 ing run to their full capacity and builders are 

 rapidly placing their orders in the belief that 

 the present prices will not decline or at least 

 not until late in the fall. 



Plain white oak is showing a tendency to 

 an increase in price, while quartered oak is 

 steady. Quartered red oak is In good demand 

 at firm prices and maple is also firm. Cypress 

 is in demand and poplar is making a better 

 showing than for some time. Basswood Is 

 having some call and better prices are being 

 quoted. 



Kansas City. 



Shipments from the southern hardwood mills 

 to this point are slightly better than during 

 February. Better weather prevails at the mill 

 points, and the mills are rapidly getting in 

 shape to handle their business to advantage, so 

 that it may be expected that March deliveries 

 will be much heavier than those of either 

 January or February. The woods are still re" 

 ported to be very wet and it will be some time 

 before logging can be done to the greatest ad- 

 vantage. Short stocks of dry lumber at the 

 mills is bothering the hardwood people here and 

 elsewhere, for granting that a number of the 

 mills are now beginning to run in good shape 

 and pile lumber, it will be 90 days to four 

 months before this stock will be in fair ship- 

 ping condition. It is expected that mills that 

 have tram roads will be able to operate from 

 now on with little interference from bad 

 weather or other causes, but It is reported that 

 the mills that depend on their supplies of logs 

 by water are in bad shape, as the drives are 

 about GO days late and the streams at most 

 points are still too low to float down the logs. 



As regards present trade and prospects every- 

 thing is satisfactory and the outlook for busi- 

 ness more than encouraging. Large buyers of 

 hardwoods have come into the market early 

 this year with liberal orders and all wholesale 

 concerns here report their business since the 

 first of the year much in excess of that for 

 the corresponding time in 1004, with a constant 

 and active inquiry which means plenty of trade 

 in sight. It is conceded that with the supply 

 of dry lumber so short at the mills, there is 

 likely to be considerable trouble in supplying 

 the wants of buyers as fast as they would like, 

 but the Kansas City yards are nicely fixed with 

 large and well assorted stocks, having antici 

 pated a brisk trade this season, and prepared 

 for same accordingly. Oak continues to lead 

 in demand, and the brisk call for thick stock 

 for interior finish and factory work is hard to 

 meet, as tile mills have neglected the manufac- 

 ture of thick stock during the past year. The 

 Kansas City local trade is starting out well 

 and promises great activity in view of the 

 plans under way for the erection of numerous 

 line buildings requiring high class finish, and 

 this trade Is augmented by a general demand 

 that is noticeably above the normal for the 

 time of year. Furniture manufacturers are 

 Ijuying freely, as are wagon and implement fac- 

 tories. Planing mill stock is in brisk demand. 

 Kailroad requisitions have come in freely of 

 lale and the railroad mills are now nicely sup- 

 plied with contracts. While a fair demand in 

 the way of bridge stock is anticipated later. 



this business is steadily going from oak to 

 Washington fir, as for the past year or two 

 dealers and bridge men have found it diflicult 

 to get prompt shipments of oak bridge stock, 

 while the flr people have been making a strong 

 bid for this class of business. 



Prices are about as reported in the last issue 

 of this paper. Xearly everything shows a no- 

 ticeable advance over the quotations of last 

 fall, and while it is not likely that prices will 

 go much, if any, higher, a firm market will 

 prevail through the spring. 



Louisville. 



The briglit sun and warmer weather has given 

 an impetus to the lumber business in Louisville, 

 which argues well for the prospects of the 

 spring trade. Lumber shipments have been 

 heavy in consequence of the accumulation of 

 orders during the cold weather in February. 

 Mills and factories are also actively in the 

 market. 



Prices on the various hardwoods are strong. 

 Oak is in especially good demand, with prices 

 advancing on the plain variety. The demand 

 for other varieties is also strong. Poplar is 

 quiet as yet, but a better state of affairs in 

 connection with this wood is expected. 



Lumbermen, generally, are breathing easier 

 now in regard to their interests out In the 

 state, which during February were threatened 

 seriously by the ice gorges in the various 

 streams and rivers. While the loss has been 

 rather heavy from the destruction of booms, 

 etc., it was not as great as was expected, and 

 lumbermen are satisfied to have escaped worse 

 damage. The ice has passed out of most of the 

 big rivers and the booms remaining are safe. 



Baltimore. 



.Vll the hardwoods in this market appear to 

 be in good condition. A brisk demand prevails 

 for nearly every wood on the list, and the in- 

 quiry indicates that the distribution would be 

 considerably larger if stocks were less restricted 

 as to volume. As a matter of fact, the supplies 

 at the mills liave been so heavily drawn upon 

 as to be well nigh exhausted, the severe winter 

 having interfered with production to a great 

 extent. All the information available Is to the 

 effect that the mills as a rule have little or no 

 lumber on hand, so that some time must elapse 

 until the production has again reached the 

 point of insuring a fairly liberal selection. The 

 local requirements are large, and may be ex- 

 pected to continue so for an indefinite period. 

 Extensive quantities of oak and other woods are 

 being used for interior finishing in the ware- 

 houses and stores already constructed in the 

 burnt district, while many other ediflces are 

 planned or under way. so that the continuance 

 of a brisk demand is assured. The furniture 

 factories and other wood working establish- 

 ments are also in the market to meet tlie needs 

 of the builders in the way of store fixtures, 

 oflice fittings and similar articles that call tor 

 the use of hardwoods. The factories here are 

 all running full time, and not a few continue 

 in operation after hours to take care of the 

 orders on hand. The chief trouble is to get 

 lumber in desired quantities and of the right 

 grades, and competition in the matter of con- 

 tracting for supplies is rather keen. T'nder the 

 circumstances it is only natural that (he range 

 of values should be relatively high, the ten- 

 dency being still upward. This is especially 

 line with respect to oak and ash. which woods 

 are freely taken at figures that afford a fair 

 margin of profit. (Chestnut is also in good re- 

 quest, while walnut remains steady at figures 

 that depend upon the quality of the lumber or 

 the log. Contrary to expectations the supply 

 of walnut timber in this section is not yet ex- 

 hausted, and some good material is being 

 brought out. ITie poplar situation is perhaps 

 less satisfactory, although stocks do not appear 

 to be large, while the supply of logs Is de- 



