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

 Mill and Wood- Working Machinery, on the lOlh and 25th of each Month, by 



THE HARDWOOD COMPANY 



Henry H. Gibson, Editor and Manager 

 Edwin W. Meeker\^ 



Hu Maxwell 



^Associate Editors 



Entire Seventh Floor Ellsworth Building 

 537 So. Dearborn Street'. CHICAGO 

 Telephones: Harrison 8086-80878088 



Vol. XXXVI CHICAGO, SEPTEMBER 10, 1913 



No. 10 



Review and Outlook 



General Market Conditions 



As A GENERAL PROPOSITION reports from the country over 

 indicate that hardvYood sales are in fair volume. There seems to 

 ))C but a moderate quantity of large orders being placed, and the trade 

 is made up of a multitude of small requisitions. 



The wood leadiug the demand is plain sawed white o.nd red oak, but 

 there is scarcely a variety of hardwood lumber to be named that is not 

 in fair call, and is moving with comparative freedom. 



There is no accumulation of dry stock of any variety of hardwoods 

 in either the North or South. In the south-country during the last 

 sixty days it is possible that the output of green stock has not been 

 quite counterbalanced by shipments. However, shipments of hardwoods 

 in the North are in excess of output. There is certainly no accumula- 

 tion of hardwoods of any varieties in any part of the country, save 

 |iossibly in red gum and cottonwood, which stocks are a little in excess 

 (if ninety days ago. 



There is still an insistent call for mahogany, Circassian, vermillion 

 and other fancy foreign hardwoods in the furniture and kindred trades. 

 The majority of manufacturers of foreign woods are behind in their 

 (irilera. Stocks of available logs are very moderate, and hence it is 

 ■ loubtful if enough will be obtainable this fall to take care of the 

 demand. While prices on these woods are firm, there is no manifesta- 

 tion of any marked increase in price, which would naturally be the 

 result of this situation. 



The veneer and panel people with few exceptions are loaded up witli 

 orders and some of the plants are running over-time. It is alleged that 

 |iriccs in veneers and panels have been strengthened to a considerable 

 extent during the last few months, and that this line of trade is now 

 showing a fair profit on investment. 



Sales in both oak and maple flooring are from fair to strong, and 

 pr.-ictically all the factories are running full time. There is no appar- 

 ent increase in maple flooring production, but new factories which have 

 been installed during the year on oak flooring will produce a consider- 

 nl le volume of this material. 



There is the usual evidence of an impending car shortage whicli is 

 nearly always true at crop-moving periods. Wise buyers should antici- 

 pate their hardwood requirements as much in advance as possible. 



On the whole, the general hardwood situation is good and certainly 

 manufacturers are not going to have any surplus of dry stock to carry 

 nver the winter. The general situation can be epitomized as very 

 liealthful. 



Birch Has Made Good 



A CLEAR CUT, SENSIBLE CAMPAIGN is being carried on by 

 the Northern Hemlock and Hardwood Manufacturers' Associa- 

 tion, with headquarters at Wausau, Wis., for the purpose of acquaint 



mg the people of this country with the good qualities of wood as a 

 buUding and manufacturing material. The latest exhibit is a collection 

 of ten specimens of birch, each one in a diilerent finish, and accom- 

 panied by an explanation of the method of imparting the finish. 

 These handsome finishes are cherry spartan stain, spartan walnut 

 stain, Circassian walnut stain, spartan green stain, fumed oak acid 

 stain, mahogany stain, pearl green, birch stain, white enamel, and 

 Mission brown. ■ ■ i i. 



The list shows birch 's range of uses, though by no means the full 

 range. It is a wood that responds to the skill of the finisher. With it 

 he can embody his ideas in concrete forms and put them before the 

 people. There was a time when birch suffered because of unreasonable 

 prejudice, just as other good woods have suffered. It was not under- 

 stood. People thought it could not be successfully seasoned. The 

 prejudice has pas-sed, the misunderstanding has been removed. Birch 

 can be easily and perfectly seasoned, and long use has demonstrated 

 that it stands well after being seasoned, the joints hold, it takes and 

 retains finish, it is strong, stitf, durable, and reliable, and last but not 

 least, it is a very handsome wood. 



The tastes of the American people are being cultivated in the uses 

 of woods. They are much more critical than they once were, but at 

 the same time they are quicker in recognizing merit, and more appre- 

 ciative of good qualities. Birch appeals to people of that kind. It has 

 the qualify and the reputation, and there is no question but that it 

 will hold all the ground it has gained and will gain more. The ease 

 and success with which it can be finished in imitation of other valuable 

 woods greatly enlarges the field of its usefulness. 



Lumber Output in 1912 



THE PRELIMINARY LUMBER CUT of the United States for 

 1912 is shown in a report issued by the Bureau of Census, and 

 is published in full in this issue of Hardwood Record. This pub- 

 lication is four months earlier than the similar report was issued 

 last j'ear, and it is a subject for congratulation. Heretofore the 

 excellent material contained in \hese annual reports had lost some 

 of its value, or at least some of its interest, by the long delay in its 

 publication. Lumbermen felt that the figures were too old by the 

 time they were made public. The promptness with which the 191- 

 statistics are given out has forestalled criticism of that kind, and 

 the Bureau of the Census is to be commended for its promptness 

 and efficiency in handling this matter. The report is preliminary, 

 and more complete figures will come later. That which will follow, 

 however, will relate largely to labor and wages and will be of more 

 interest to economists and statisticians than to active lumbermen. 

 A number of facts given in the report are worth careful eonaidera 

 ticn. It appears that more than half of the nliole lumber output 



