30 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Hardwood Market. 



(By HABBWOOD BECOSD Exclusive Market Beportera.) 



St. Louis. 



Chicago. 



The feeliug over prusjiective demaud still le- 

 mains excellent locally, but, as a matter o£ fact. 

 there has been no development of trade that 

 calls for any large quantity of hardwoods as 

 yet. There is nothing iu the market that is 

 scarce and particularly high save plain sawed 

 oak. Iniiuiries for all the other hardwoods 

 develop an uncertainty on the part of manufac- 

 turers of what constitutes just valties, and quo- 

 tations are coming into the jobbers at prices that 

 vary from $3 to even .$U or $7 a thousand. 

 There really has not been enough actual sale 

 to the consuming trade thus far this spring 

 to determine what values the trade is going 

 to stand. Thus it is that the jobbers, while they 

 made pretty heavy purchases earlier in the sea- 

 son, are now really holding back awaiting de- 

 velopments, before placing many more orders. 

 Again there seems to be an over-anxiety on 

 the part of manufacturers to sell, and in all 

 verity the general conditions are not as buoy- 

 ant as they were thirty days ago. Notwithstand- 

 ing the facts recited, the general feeling pre- 

 vailing is very hopeful and optimistic. 



New York. 



The hardwood business is just commencing to 

 show signs of starting. Inquiries are numerous, 

 and every wholesaler is very busy in answering 

 inquiries and making prices. Values thus far 

 are only fair, but the trade generally feels that 

 prices must stiffen materially soon, as the de- 

 mand in sight will in a short time exceed the 

 dry stocks on hand. 



There have been a few days during the past 

 fortnight when the atmosphere has taken on a 

 touch of spring, while the intervening days 

 have been of such character as to eliminate the 

 snow and ice. A trip among the hardwood 

 users and dealers throughout the district finds 

 business taking on renewed activity and market 

 conditions improving. 



The very severe winter has not only retarded 

 buying on the part of retail hardwood yards, 

 but has greatly Impaired the manufacturing 

 business as well. In fact the season has been 

 one to preclude very much enthusiasm or ability 

 to do business. There is every prospect that 

 the spring and summer trade is going' to provide 

 a large amount of business for busy sellers and 

 buyers of hardwoods. It is reported that more 

 inclination is manifested than for a long time 

 past, to make purchases. The general move- 

 ment of hardwood stocks in both channels has 

 been better during the past fortnight than dur- 

 ing the entire period since last fall. 



The completion and Installation of the in- 

 terior finish in many large structures well under 

 way last fall, which have been held up during 

 tbe winter. Is now in progress, and this makes 

 local factory business very good. 



Prices on all kinds of hardwoods continue 

 exceedingly firm, with oak, ash, birch and chest- 

 nut, showing a decided forward tendency. Thc 

 demand is reported to include pretty much all 

 kinds of hardwoods. Poplar is steadily improv- 

 ing, and while there is considerable poorly 

 manufactured stock on the market at compara- 

 tively low prices, the better class of lumber Is 

 making good headway at advanced values. It 

 is believed that in a very short time poplar will 

 have regained all the ground lost last year. 



Wholesale buyers returning from mill points 

 continue to bring with them the information 

 that stocks of hardwoods are low and badly 

 broken in most Instances. This phase of the 

 situation Is having a decided tendency to keep 

 the market In good shape by preventing forced 

 sales. On the whole, the local situation is ex- 

 cellent and the outlook was never more prom- 

 ising. 



There has been no material change in the 

 general trade situation during the past two 

 weeks, which means that the dealers are par- 

 ticularly well satisfied with the volume of busi- 

 ness being transacted. Orders are coming In for 

 as much dry stock as can be readily furnished 

 and It Is the present Indication that there will 

 be a steady increase of business during the next 

 two months. If this Is true St. Louis stocks wll' 

 undoubtedly be In very poor shape so far as dry 

 stock Is concerned, as there is already something 

 of a shortage existing. There Is considerable 

 <'omment at the conditions in the southern coun- 

 try where the production continues to be consid- 

 erably below the normal because of the wet con- 

 dition of logging roads, and It is hardly probable 

 that the output of the mills can Increase to any 

 great extent during the next thirty days. Local 

 houses are maintaining a corps of buyers In the 

 southern country, but these are not securing as 

 much lumber as could be desired. Another point 

 causing comment is the fact that the large num- 

 ber of buyers visiting the mills has advanced 

 southern prices even more rapidly than changes 

 have taken place in the northern markets, leaving 

 a lower range of margins. Tbe general price sit- 

 uation in St. Louis is showing a steady advance 

 on those items which are In the least inclined to 

 be scarce and there is a manifest firmness on 

 even those Items of which the supply is suffi- 

 cient. Sales for March will undoubtedly exceed 

 those of the same month of last year and there 

 is probably not a concern In St. Louis but will 

 make a better showing. In a strictly local way 

 all factories are buying quite actively, especially 

 the planing mills and those having to do with 

 the building situation, as St. Louis is undergoing 

 a building boom Just now which eclipses all past 

 records in this respect. In wagon and agricul- 

 tural implement Hues St. Louis caters to the 

 southwestern territory where the cotton sltua 

 tion is not alluring. 



There Is beginning to be a better local demand 

 for Cottonwood and gum than at any time during 

 the winter and early part of this month, but the 

 demand is not yet up to the usual spring propor- 

 tions. It is believed in St. Louis that there will 

 be less of these two woods consumed locally than 

 during last year, but a heavy trade Is expected 

 nevertheless. Prices have as yet shown but little 

 change, but should as soon as trade shows a 

 further Increase. 



In oak the strongest demand Is for Inch plain, 

 which Is true of all markets, but quarter sawed 

 stock is beginning to come to the front quite 

 prominently at better prices than those prevail- 

 lug a month ago? Ash. pjplar, hickory, elm and 

 the other woods handled in St. Louis have shown 

 but little change in either price or demand, but 

 are moving in satisfactory volume. 



Pittsburg. 



There has been very little change In the hard- 

 wood situation in Greater Pittsburg since March 

 1. Inquiry continues very brisk. Prices are firm 

 and have a constant upward tendency. Orders 

 are not coming in so fast as the Inquiry would 

 seem to justify. This is attributed chiefly to the 

 weather, which has been extremely backward 

 and unfavorable for starting building projects. 

 The local yards are fairly well stocked and re- 

 tailers are not anxious to buy any more until 

 consumers relieve them of some of their stock. 



Oak still leads In the market aud the supply, 

 although larger in proportion than of some other 

 woods, is still away behind In inquiry. Dry 

 stocks of poplar are particularly scarce In mar- 

 ket. 



Detroit. 



Ilavdwood market conditions in Detroit and 

 Michigan generally show little change from re- 

 cent reports, conditions continuing to be satis- 



TheF.J.BIackwellCo. 



INCORPORATED 



BROWNSVILLE, 



TENNESSEE 



Write us for PricM on 



HARDWOODS 



OAK, POPLAR AND GUM LUM- 

 BER AND DIMENSION STOCK 



WALNUT, 

 OAK. 

 ASH, 

 POPLAR. 



CYPRESS 



We make a specialty of rough or 

 dressed Cypress Lumber and Cypress 

 Shingles in straight or mixed cars. 

 Your inquiries solicited for single car 

 orders or good round lots. Can also fur- 

 nish Sound Cypress Dimension Stock. 



The Borcherding Lumber Co. 



Norlhern Oflice, 



CINCINNATI, OHIO. 



iflZ. R. CHIViZIS 



Successor to » ,1. Ehnts 

 WANTE.D AND FOR SALE, 



HARDWOOD LUMBER 



ASH, OAK, POPLAR, CYPRESS. 

 AGRICULTURAL AND WAGON STOCK, 



WALNUT AMD CHERRY 



LESPERANCE STREET 



: AND THE 



IRON MOUNTAIN RAILROAD TRACKS, 

 sr. LOUIS. 



GEORGE L. HUNT 



713 E. 4lh Street, CHATTANOOGA, TENN. 



Wholesale Dealer in 



HARDWOOD LUMBER 



BONSULT our list of ad- 

 vertisers, page 33, also the 

 " W. & F. S." section page 32. 



