56 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



NEW YORK 



The hardwooti market at Kew York shows a 

 little more activity in the matter of future buy- 

 ing than has prevailed for some time. The vol- 

 ume of trading is. however, much less than nor- 

 mal. Stocks are correspondingly less in the 

 hands of buyers, but the latter appear to be real- 

 izing the general situation in hardwoods more 

 fully, and there seems to be more of an inclina- 

 tion to anticipate wants than has obtained for 

 some time. Stocks at shipping points are re- 

 ported quite low, with some items very scarce, 

 particularly in ash. Poplar, oak, ash, birch and 

 maple are quite strong in the better grades. 

 Quartered oak is freer, but prices are holding 

 reasonably firm. 



BUFFALO 



The hardwood trade is more active than it 

 was earlier in the month. It has slowed down 

 as it always does at this time of the year, but 

 a fair amount of stock has been moving. Orders 

 are for Immediate requirements only, and the 

 quantity taken is therefore limited in about 

 every instance. A considerable improvement is 

 expected next month. 



About the same woods as usual are moving, 

 oak, maple and birch being in fair demand. 

 Prices are about the same, but appear to be 

 likely to grow firmer with improving sales. 

 Elsewhere there is about the usual amount of 

 firmness. 



PHILADELPHIA 



There has been a palpable advance in trading 

 during the past fortnight, and an encouraging 

 feeling prevails accordingly as to outlook. The 

 irregular restricted buying so much deplored is 

 gradually giving way to a more confident inclina- 

 tion to secure stock for future delivery at pre- 

 vailing prices. There are still some who hold 

 to the impression that better deals may be ex- 

 pected after the first of the year, but those 

 who have made it a point to familiarize them- 

 belves with stock conditions at the mill ends are 

 insuring themselves against the dilemma of being 

 meagerly prepared for a decisive advance in 

 trading. 



The manufacturing end of the hardwood busi- 

 ness is well controlled and the pile is not al- 

 lowed to exceed the demand. In nearly all 

 standard lines and grades there is a scarcity of 

 dry stock, and with the inadequate car service 

 at this time on account of the extensive crop 

 movement, buyers are forced to resort to the 

 lumber camps for the purpose of making satis- 

 factory deals. Yard stocking still lags, and 

 remanufacturcrs hesitate as to the piling up of 

 vacant places. However, the box makers, who 

 depend largely upon Industries which have of 

 late Increased their activities, are more active 

 than for some time, and are accordingly optimis- 

 tic as to a substantial trading during the winter. 



PITTSBURGH 



Better lumber orders have been booked here 

 during the past ten days than for a long time. 

 November shipments were above expectations in 

 many cases, several firms reporting it to be the 

 be.it month they have bad this year. Inquiry Is 

 Improving steadily. There is a general feeling 

 here that If business should expand ten or flfteiai 

 per cent all lumbrrmen would be cut short. 

 Stocks of good hardwoods at the mills are low. 

 Cars arc in short supply, and mills arc not accu- 

 mulating any dry stock. The inventory season, 

 of course, has held up the yard trade for the 

 present, but the factory trade, added to the big 

 orders from the railroads, steel companies and 

 coal mines, is making hardwood affairs look 

 better than for a long time. The year Is closing 

 with a mighty good total of hardwood sold 



through Pittsburgh firms. Prices have held their 

 own throughout the year and the demand for 

 hardwood has been better and more satisfactory 

 than in any otlier line of lumber dealing. 



BOSTON 



The demand for hardwood lumber in this 

 market has been rather quiet. Buyers have been 

 operating in a slow way, few having any real 

 confidence in prices. While the market is quoted 

 as firm, taking it as a whole, there have l>een 

 lots of hardwood offered at concessions. The 

 average buyer has also tried to keep his stock 

 down so as to have as little as possible around 

 the first of the year when taking inventory. 



In plain oak prices are fairly well held and 

 Imyers have shown quite a little interest. Quar- 

 tered oak is not active, and offerings are fairly 

 free. In some instances values are rather weak. 

 Demand for maple flooring has been of fair 

 volume, with prices steady. Chestnut is firm 

 but the call in this market Is not large. There 

 has been considerable oak shipped to South 

 .\merican ports during the past two months. 

 Some English demand is reported for black wal- 

 nut but the local demand is quiet. Cypress is in 

 quiet demand. 



BALTIMORE 



The hardwood trade of this section is in bet- 

 ter shape than perhaps the most optimistic 

 members of the trade had expected. The move- 

 ment has remained quite active until now, and 

 the range of prices has shown not the slightest 

 sign of weakness ; in fact, in spite of the easing 

 off in demand, quotations have more than held 

 (heir own. and there is every prospect that when 

 trade opens up after the first of the year, a new 

 impetus may be given to quotations. 



An active inquiry comes from abroad, and 

 prices offered are an improvement on those that 

 prevailed during a large part of the year. Evi- 

 dences of an interest in stocks of hardwoods 

 indicate that while no actual scarcity prevails 

 on the other side, it is none the less deemed 

 desirable to add to the holdings. Shipments of 

 oak planks have been more extensive than could 

 be desired, and this has had a tendency to make 

 buyers cautious. It is stated that rejections of 

 planks are being made on a scale suggestive of 

 inordinately liberal offerings, which fact is being 

 taken advantage of by buyers. With respect to 

 poplar and some of the other woods, the feeling 

 is distinctly better, and a willingness is evi- 

 denced to offer better terms to shippers. 



In the domestic market nearly all stocks have 

 been in very fair request. Wholesalers have 

 been able to advance prices, and have succeeded 

 in placing orders at the old figures. The activity 

 in sound wormy chestnut continues, and the 

 previously extensive stocks in hand have about 

 been distributed. The prospects are decidedly 

 encouraging, and hardwood men here are ending 

 up the year in a hopeful frame of mind. 



COLUMBUS 



The usual holiday lull has taken posses- 

 sion of the hardwood trade In Columbus and 

 central Ohio and as a result business has been 

 a little slow. Both retailers and factories have 

 been busy with Inventories, and are not disposed 

 at this lime to Increase stocks. However, a 

 large number of orders and Inquiries are coming 

 in looking for delivery In .lanuary. There is a 

 good demand for most varieties of hardwoods, 

 although oak, both quartered and plain, and 

 chestnut lead in demand. The lower grades of 

 all hardwoods are moving well, but as has been 

 the case for some time the belter demand Is still 

 for the upper grades. Prices In all varieties and 

 grades have been will mnlnlalned and the tend- 

 ency is to advance quotations rather than to cut 

 and thus force the market. Stocks In the bands 



of retailers are still short and will remain so 

 until some time in January. The policy has 

 been to buy only what was needed for immediate 

 wants and as a result there has been no accumu- 

 lation of stocks. Stocks in the hands of the 

 mill owners are not large, and on the whole 

 the market is in a healthy condition. 



CINCINNATI 



The year just closing has been disappointing 

 to the hardwood trade in this market, having 

 been productive of only an ordinary volume of 

 business. The striking feature of the year has 

 been the extreme conservativeness of consuming 

 manufacturers in buying, more especially manu- 

 facturers of furniture. Collections have been 

 prompt, very few slow accounts being reported. 

 The failures affecting this market have been 

 very light. Market conditions have, as a rule, 

 been in spots. However, as compared with the 

 volume of business transacted in lillO, the year 

 1911 show's up favorably in the aggregate. 



There has been a very fair demand' during 

 the year for good, dry oak, but the volume avail- 

 able has not at all times been equal to the de- 

 mand. Quarter-sawed oak, in both red and white, 

 lias had a good season, the buying being prin- 

 ripally lor common and better, with only a fair 

 movement of top grades. Low-grade oak has 

 been meeting with a good movement. Heavy 

 timbers and car stock, and oak ties have been 

 in good demand all the year. Poplar has re- 

 ceived very fair attention for the manufacturers' 

 grades, while wide, clear stock started in poorly, 

 but during the last few months has shown steady 

 improvement, though prices have remained low. 

 Common and low-grade poplar has met a steady 

 demand. Sound wormy chestnut has been In 

 active demand for good, wide, clear stock, with a 

 fair movement of ordinary grades. Red gum 

 has had a fair year for the top grades, with a 

 good demand for saps and common, which have 

 been rather short of the wants of the trade. 

 Birch has sliown good improvement In demand 

 during the past three months. American walnut 

 has been receiving good attention from the for- 

 eign trade. Mahogany of all kinds has improved 

 strongly in demand during the year, and is now 

 enjoying a very good demand. Basswood has 

 liad a fair volume of business, with some im- 

 provement noted in the demand for the top 

 grades of cottonwood, low-grades of which have 

 had a good year. Buckeye has received very fair 

 attention. Ash and hickory have had a very 

 fair year. The buying for the foreign trade, 

 embracing oak boards, white ash. hickory boards, 

 and red gum, has shown improvement over that 

 of the past two years. Cherry has received Im- 

 proved attention from the foreign trade. Walnut 

 logs for export have been in good demand all the 

 year, with a notable scarcity. 



Cypress began the year with a good demand 

 for builders' and manufacturers' grades, and a 

 fair movement of tank stock. Early in the fall 

 the demand fell off and has steadily grown 

 \seaker. 



TOLEDO 



There is but little change in local hardwood 

 business, except for a slight improvement In the 

 call for oak from furniture concerns, who are 

 using more lumber than for some time past. 

 Local yards appear to bo well stocked up, and 

 there is very little buying. There are apparently 

 no transportation dlltlcultles, and local concerns 

 are securing what stocks are needed without 

 delay. Hardwood men believe that conditions 

 will improve, and that prices will be much bet- 

 ter in the near future. For this reason there 

 Is very little price cutting and no unseemly 

 efforts are being made to dispose of stock. 

 Automobile and other vehicle concerns are show- 

 inn about the usual activity for this season of 

 tbe year. 



