■j^m^um^!^L)m^m^)^^WMWM^^ 



Published in ihe Interest of the American Hardwood Forests, the Products thereof, and Logging, Saw 

 Mill and Wood-working Machinery, on the 10th and 25lh of each Month, by 



THE HARDWOOD COMPANY 



Henry H. Gibson, President 



Entire Seventh Floor Ellsworth Building 

 537 So. Dearborn Street. CHICAGO 



BOTANIC^ 

 QARDBW 



Vol. XXXIII 



CHICAGO, DECEMBER 25, 1911 



No. 5 



' 'i : i)M!J^tJaa5TOOKa:i>!aMtatwit^)iii^^^ 



Editorial Comment 



General Market Conditions 



The most pronounced feature of the general market in the 

 southern field is the scarcity of a great many items of dry stock, 

 and the almost universal belief that the year 1912 will prove to be 

 highly satisfactory from the point of view of sales and prices. 

 Southern operators are reporting as a rule that the}' have had 

 some difficulty in moving their stock during the last week or so 

 on account of the taking of inventory. This is always expected, 

 however, and it is the general belief that the inventories will show 

 extremely low stocks on hand at consuming points, with the re- 

 sultant quick awakening in demand after the first of the year 

 and a decided stiffening in prices. 



There is an absolute shortage of any quantity of the upper 

 grades of plain red oak at practicallj' all the large producing points 

 in the South, and this stock promises not only to maintain the 

 present strong level, but to increase in demand and consumption 

 during the next six months. There are scattered reports of im- 

 provement in the quartered oak situation, but nothing much can 

 be expected in this line under present conditions. The general 

 idea is that low grades of almost all hardwoods are enjoying a 

 strong demand, and in some woods these grades are practically 

 impossible to buj', noticeably so in the varieties which are con- 

 sumed by box manufacturers. 



A feature which has helped the situation in that it has curtailed 

 output, although it has greatly inconvenienced a great many of 

 the manufacturers themselves, is the extremely rainy period which 

 has prevailed throughout the South for some time. A number of 

 the southern wholesalers have been compelled to actually turn down 

 orders because they could not get stocks from which they had sold 

 in time. This is a fairly general condition and will probably prove 

 rather serious for some manufacturers along the lower Mississippi, 

 who, should there be any decided improvement in demand after 

 the first of the year, will not be able to take advantage of it, 

 because they will not have accumulated sufficient dry stock. 



A Michigan correspondent states that the impression given in 

 the market conditions report in last issue of Hardwood Kecokd 



SUBSCRIPTION TERMS: In the United .States and its possessions, 

 and Canada. $'J.OO the year: in foreign countries, $1.00 extra postage. 



In conformity witli tlie rules of the pnstofflce department, subscrip- 

 tions are payaljle in advance, and in default of written orders to the 

 contrary, are continued at our option. 



Instructions for renewal, discontinuance, or change of address, 

 should he sent one weelt before the date they are to go into effect. 

 Both old and new addresses must lie given. 



Both display and classified advertising rates furnished upon 

 application. 



that there is an overstock of No. .3 hardwoods in Michigan and 

 Wisconsin, is erroneous. He alleges that the inventories of man- 

 ufacturers who produce more than sixty per cent of the hardwood 

 product in Michigan and Wisconsin show that there is a distinct 

 shortage in this grade, and that a fiill dollar a thousand more is 

 being obtained at the present time than was possible to secure 

 sixty days ago. 



The general situation in northern hardwoods is good, there being 

 a comparatively short stock and a fair demand for all the standard 

 woods, including maple, birch, beech, elm and basswood. 



The general impression prevailing is that after the holiday and 

 inventory season is over, there will be an increased demand for 

 all varieties of hardwood lumber, and the first of the year will 

 show very satisfactory trading. 



Oak Lumber and Flooring on the Pacific Coast 



A well-known lumberman of Portland, Ore., writes 11.\rdwood 

 Record that an impression seems to be prevailing in the East that 

 Siberian or Japanese oak and oak flooring have supplanted the oak 

 of the East on the Pacific coast. This correspondent states that this 

 is a serious misapprehension of facts, and in the interest of the 

 superior eastern oak and in fairness to the discriminating good sense 

 and judgment of Pacific users of this material, he wishes to have 

 the impression corrected. He states that for some time and until 

 the fall of 1910, the hardwood flooring dealers of Portland were 

 in a combination with the manufacturers of Siberian or Japanese oak 

 to forward the use of this variety of wood, and discourage the use 

 of oak from our own states east of the Eocky mountains. Gross 

 misrepresentations were made to create a prejudice against the 

 American product. These misstatements were broadly scattered going 

 so far as to allege that the supply of oak stumpage in the United 

 States was practically exhausted; that the stock shipped to the coast 

 was all short lengths and culls, and when eastern oak was specified by 

 builders and the better class of architects, Siberian or Japanese oak 

 would often be wilfully substituted. 



However, during the past year the interests of eastern oak have 



Advertising copy must be received five days in advance of publica- 

 tion dates. 



Telephones;— Harrison S086-S0S7-S0S8. 



Advertising Representatives: Jacob Holtzman. 5254 Larchwood Ave- 

 nue. Philadelphia, Pa. : E. W. Meeker, 537 South Dearborn Street. Chi- 

 t-ago, III, 



Entered as second-class matter May 26, 1902, at the postoffice at Chi- 

 cago, 111., under act of March 3, 1S79. 



