64 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



turned a wheel since before the holidays. But 

 for the fact that the mailing of shipments is like- 

 wise attended with difficulties, it is altogether 

 probable that a scarcity of stocks would have 

 developed here and there, for while the sawmills 

 have been hampered by ice and snow and the 

 shipments have narrowed for the same reason, 

 many of the consuming plants have operated full 

 time. The revival in the foreign business has 

 also been pronounced, particularly with respect 

 to the oak plank situation which has improved 

 very much. At present there is little cause for 

 complaint about arbitrary rejections on account 

 of alleged defects. Previous returns having been 

 so unsatisfactory that many of the shippers went 

 out of the market, it became necessary to offer 

 inducements. This necessity was intensified by 

 the advance in the ocean freight rates, which ab- 

 .sorbs a considerable part of the rise in price. 

 Keduced sailings to foreign ports, moreover, have 

 held down the shipments, consignments at times 

 being held at ports for weeks before they can 

 be put aboard a vessel. These caiises. combined 

 with an improved industrial situation in Great 

 Britain, have stimulated the demand for stocks 

 and there is every indication that the year will 

 show large gains in movement. The stocks held 

 here are heavy enough to meet present require- 

 ments. Nevertheless, hardwood men have been 

 on the lookout for supplies and have kept on the 

 move, visiting the lumbering sections. The mill- 

 men, who had eased off somewhat in their de- 

 mands when the bu.vers seemed no longer so 

 eager to take up stocks, again manifest a dispo- 

 sition to mark up their figures and the prospect 

 is decidedly encouraginir. 



CLEVELAND 



The continued cold weather has had a tendency 

 to prevent much buying as there has been very 

 little building. Stocks which were bought for 

 .Tanuary and February business are coming in 

 and very little moving out. Local hardwood 

 dealers report a steady trade, and as soon as the 

 weather moderates look for good business. 



The lower grades of poplar, oak, basswood ami 

 chestnut are in demand at somewhat stiffened 

 prices, due to the fact that stocks are badly 

 broken and little manufacturing has been done 

 since the first of the year. A number of items 

 of chestnut seem m be very scarce and mills 

 which have it are evidentl.v holding on to it. an- 

 ticipating a marked strengthening in price. 



COLUMBUS 



strength has been the chief characteristic of 

 the hardwood trade during the past fortnight. 

 Prices have ruled firm and in the lower grades of 

 chestnut and poplar advances have been made. 

 The volume of business is better and the con- 

 sensus of opinion Is that more liberal buying will 

 be done In the near future. Indications for ac- 

 tive building operations in the spring are ex 

 reptlonally good. Inventories showed that stocks 

 in the hands of retailers are small and the same 

 Is true of stocks in the hands of factories. The 

 demand for materials for furniture, vehicle and 

 Implement factories is much better, and automo- 

 bile factories are buying the wider sizes of pop 

 lar. The movement of the lower grades has been 

 good and the better grades are also in fair de- 

 mand, t'ollectlons have been excellent. Quar- 

 tered and plain oak Is strong, as Is also poplar. 

 Chestnut Is one of the best polnt.s on the mar 

 ket. Other hardwoods are unchanged. 



ClSCLWNATl 



liUMlnesK on the whole was very fair during 

 the month of .January, though the extreme 

 weather conditions were a handlea)) to outsldi' 

 operations. February has opened up with con- 

 tlniirK] fair volume of trade, and a very saCls- 



faetory outlook. Buying by consuming manu- 

 facturers continues to be conservative, though 

 orders are more frequent. Collections are gen- 

 erally fair. 



There is an active demand for the top grades of 

 oak but the bulk of trade is in common or 

 common and better, which is meeting with the 

 approval of furniture and manufacturing in 

 cUistrlos. Highly figured quarter-sawed oak is in 

 lisht request. Quarter-sawed oak. in red anil 

 uhite mixed is selling fairly well, but stock of- 

 fered for the most part is narrow. Good. Iwne 

 dry stock is not plentiful. 



Chestnut is meeting with an improved de- 

 mand for manufacturers' grades, with a good 

 movement of heavy and rough stock. Sound 

 wormy chestnut of good widths and practically 

 clear of defects other than worm holes is active 

 at fair prices. 



Poplar is in good demand for manufacturers' 

 grades, with some inquiry for wide stock from 

 the auto trade. However, prices remain low. 

 Low grades are active. Red gum is in demand 

 for ones and twos. This also applies to low 

 grades and saps of good dry stock. Heavy white 

 ash is receiving better attention from the car- 

 riage and wagon trade. Hickory is steady. Kirch 

 is in good demand for both red and white, with 

 stocks somewhat light. Mahogany lumber of all 

 kinds is in active call. Basswood is receiving 

 fair attention. Cottonwood is showing improve- 

 ment in the demand for the top grades, with a 

 fair request for low grades. Buckeye, maple, 

 beech and other hardwoods are in fair move- 

 ment. The buying for export continues to be 

 steady, with inquiries for oak boards, heavy white 

 ash and red gum. Hickory boards are in fair 

 request. American walnut is receiving much 

 attention. 



TOLEDO 



The local hardwood market shows a growing 

 activity. Prices are very tirm and tiiere are no 

 indications of weakness. Furniture plants are 

 proving good customers and the manufacturing 

 department is generally more active. Inquiries 

 are more numerous and the general tone is im- 

 proving. There is a good foreign demand for oak 

 and hickory and a fair export trade is being car- 

 ried on. Oak is rathei- scarce and the demand 

 persistent, wliich has resulted in a very firm mar- 

 ket. Factory stocks are not large. Ash. maple. 

 <-lieslnut and red gum are moving nicely. Low 

 grades suitable for boxing and crating are in 

 big demand and prices have advanced. The se- 

 vere weather has had an effect on the building 

 business and hardwood finish and flooring have 

 been moving slowly, but at good prices. There is 

 a large amount of figuring being done for the 

 early spring and an active hardwood demand for 

 all kinds of building material is assured. 



INDIANAPOLIS 



Tlie hardwood trade is showing some signs of 

 Improvement. Business, however, is still more 

 or less inactive, owing to the fact that building 

 operations are tied uji and manufacturing con- 

 cerns using hardwoods are npt especiall.v active. 

 Hardwood prices are holding their own, and 

 there has been no change in local quotations In 

 the last two weeks. Shipments are moving In a 

 satisfactory manner, there being no difllculty, ap- 

 parently. In getting enough cars to move such 

 hardn'oods as are In demand at this time. 



EVANSVILLB 



\ slight hnproveiiH'nt in the local market is 

 noticeable. The general opinion Is that business 

 will be better from now on. Inquiries are more 

 numerous. Shipments for .lanuary tell below 

 those of last year on account of Inclement 

 weather, and proilucllon was not up to .lanuary 

 • •r last year for tin- same reason. Logs are viu'y 



scarce at this time, very few being hauled on ac- 

 count of bad roads and cold weather. 



Plain oak seems to lead in point of demand. 

 However, an improvement is apparent in quar- 

 tered oak. Prices have not strengthened to any 

 extent. Ash is in good demand. One-inch No. 2 

 common B poplar is in fair demand. Elm and 

 hickory are holding their own fairly well. 



NASHVILLE 



Conditions of the local lumber trade seem to 

 be satisfactory to manufacturers and others con- 

 nected therewith. Indications for much spring 

 activit.v continue favorable. Operations have 

 been resumed by many mills which had to shut 

 dcwn because of weather conditions and taken 

 as a whole the net volume of business during 

 .lanuary was about normal. Many inquiries are 

 coming in, and numerous good orders are being 

 accepted. 



The hardwood flooring people report a fair 

 liusiness. The recent demands from the furniture 

 manufacturers have been light, but they are look- 

 ing for a good spring trade. The cross tie busi 

 ness is fair locally. Recent liberal receipts of 

 logs have given local mills plenty of good ma 

 terlal to work on. A number of large railroad 

 sales have recently been recorded. The export 

 business shows improvement. 



There has been a ready sale for all the grades 

 of chestnut, and ash is moving well. There is 

 also much activity in poplar, the lower grades 

 being in especially good call at this time. Quar- 

 tered white oak shows a better tendency. There 

 is a good demand for ones and twos and Xos. 1 

 and 2 plain oak, both red and white. Dry 

 cherry, whicli is very scarce, is at a premium. 

 'I'here are good stocks in the local yards, and 

 Ilierefore Nashville firms are in a position to fill 

 orders. 



KNOXVILLE 



During the past two weeks lumbermen have 

 been receiving more orders for dry stock than for 

 some time past. However there seems to be a 

 scarcity of dry stocks, as a number of small mills 

 in this vicinity are having considerable ilillicnlty 

 in getting stocks to the railway owing to the 

 severe weather for the past two months. There 

 i> a general upward tendency in the price of 

 hnuher. and lumbermen continue to be optimistic. 

 Ituilding permits are already far ahead of the 

 same period for Iflll. and the demand for good 

 hardwoods from not only the furniture trade but 

 also all manufacturing concerns is improving. 

 Xo. 1 and No. 2 common plain oak in all thick- 

 nesses Is in the lead, while quartered white oak 

 continues in the same position it has held for 

 several months. 



LOUISVILLE 



Business In the Kentucky lumber trade is quiet 

 but hopeful. The feeling in the Louisville mar- 

 ket is much more oiitimistic at present than it 

 was last month, owing to better feeling existing 

 among consumers. The close of the season's fur- 

 niture exhibits In Grand liapids and Chicago was 

 accomi)anied by very favorable reports as to the 

 prospect for that Industry, with the result that 

 furniture manufacturers are putting forth more 

 inquiries than heretofore an<l the disposition of 

 the general rvui <tf consumers is considerably bet- 

 ter. Thick plain oak Is the leader In present 

 sales. Quartered oak Is showing some Improve- 

 ment anci poplni- c-nniinn'"-- n- ;i ^:it Isfactor.v fea- 

 ture. 



BRISTOL 



While Ii-ade Is i-eported somewhat better, busi- 

 ness In tills sectliui has been hampered con- 

 siderably by the unusually rough weather. Dur- 



