THE HARDWOOD RECORD. 



21 



r^^S: 



Market ReportJ^ 



CHICAGO. 



Tbe receiving, liaiulliiij^- and sliipping of 

 luinljer is being greatly interfered with 

 by the daily and almost incessant rains. 

 Tbe weather has been altogether unfavor- 

 able in this respect for the past three or 

 four weeks, and it is beginning to tell on 

 the patience of the local dealers. 



AVhile progress lias been necessarily slow 

 on the above account, the demand has not 

 been of such an exorbitant nature that 

 the dealers are getting behind in their or- 

 ders — or, in other words, volume of trade 

 has not exceeded the facilities for handling 

 it. The expense of handling it, however, 

 is another matter. There is considerable 

 comjilaint registered on this score. 



As to the general condition of the mar- 

 ket, there is not much change to report. 

 The demand is no better than it was, 

 which means that it could be a good deal 

 better and not go over the limit. The 

 symptoms are natural, however, at this 

 season of the year, and tliere is conse- 

 quently no discoiu'agement over the pres- 

 ent inactivity. In fact, there is much en- 

 couragement to be had, for in spite of the 

 usual midsummer sluggishness, prices ai-e 

 well maintained. There is no absolutely 

 weak item in the list. All grades of Cot- 

 tonwood and poplar boards and the upp'er 

 grades in plain red oak and quartered 

 white oak are still the leading sellers, and 

 are taken readily, when they are taken at 

 all, at the top market prices. Red gum 

 continues to find favor on this market, and 

 there is considerable call for this wood, 

 both in log run and firsts and seconds. 



Anyone owning basswood can get action 

 at most any time. There is and always 

 will be a sufficient demand for this wood. 

 It is not an excited demand, however, for 

 the consumers have found out the nature 

 of the supply and simply buy it in prefer- 

 ence when they can get it. 



Birch was quite active during the early 

 part of the year, and while it has not lost 

 any of the gain it made during that per- 

 iod, there is not so much call for it now. 



There is no change to report as regards 

 maple and elm. Maple in particular is in 

 unison with the general state of trade. 

 While the local demand it not hardly at 

 par, there is no disposition to force sales 

 by trimming the price. Elm is in the least 

 demand of any of the northern woods, but 

 there is not a burdensome supply in the 

 market and the strength it has at points of 

 production helps to keep the tone good 

 here. 



Trade, all things considered, is in good 

 shape. 



ST. LOUIS SITUATION. 



The general trade situation in this mar- 

 ket is fully as good as at last report, and 

 practically all of the dealers state that 

 they are satisfied with the volume of their 

 business. 



And the best part of this situation is that 

 it is likely to continue. Of course, there 

 will probably be the usual midsummer i)e- 

 riod of inactivity, but it promises to l>e 

 less pronounced than formerly. Already 

 it is noticed that the northern furniture 

 factories are buying in smaller quantities, 

 because of their habit of always slowing 

 down on purchases until after the furni- 

 ture exposition at Grand Rapids, the re- 

 sult of which exposition gives them the 

 infonnatiou they desire as to style and the 

 amounts of the various kinds of lumber 

 they will need during the fall. Until this 

 exposition is well inaugurated and the 

 ti'end of things can be observed, the fur- 

 niture trade will be more or less of a fil!- 

 ing-in trade, except on items which may 

 be considered staple. It is figured by some 

 that the drouth of last fall is .lust begin- 

 ning to affect some branches of the hard- 

 wood trade, the furniture and agricultural 

 implement departments, for example, but 

 trade has been and is so good in these 

 lines that even those who make this claim 

 admit that it is their opinion that the 

 trade of this fall will exceed all records, 

 again basing their claims on crops and 

 telling about the wonderful condition of 

 corn. In the box lines a rather strange 

 condition prevails. Cottonwood is in very 

 strong demand from the box people, but 

 gum has declined until the prevailing price 

 is now in the neighborhood of $11. .50 to $12, 

 which is materially below the quotation of 

 a month ago on gum box stuff. Planing 

 mills are unusually busy and their require- 

 ments are heavy. They are especially 

 anxious to buy cypress and this wood is 

 probably harder to secure at first hands 

 than any other handled in this market in 

 any quantity. 



So far as oak is concerned, quartered 

 white easily maintains the lead in point of 

 demand, and there is much less of it com- 

 ing in than could be used. This scarcity 

 has again brought quartered red into fa- 

 vor, and it is probably true that this latter 

 has undergone more improvement during 

 the past month than any other hardwood 

 commodity. In plain-sawed oak the de- 

 mand includes all items. Thick stock is 

 wanted in white and a limited quantity of 

 it in red will sell quite easil.v: 1-inch in 

 both white and red is particularly strong 

 tind the market has none of it to sD^re. 



In fact, the local supply of 1-inch red oak 

 was seldom as light as at the present time. 

 Specially sawed stock, such as wagon, ta- 

 ble, chair and railroad stock, is very 

 strong, there being a demand for the last 

 named which is by no means satisfied. 



Cypress, as intimated above, is very hard 

 to secure at first hands, and is in such de- 

 mand all over the country that central 

 stocks remain depleted, despite the efforts 

 of the mills to catch up with their orders. 

 Prices are easily maintained, although they 

 are materially higher than they were a 

 month ago. Poplar is also strong in upper 

 grades, but the lower grades do not enter 

 to any extent in local trading. Ash re- 

 mains about as it has been, the demand be- 

 ing excellent but the supply short. Cot- 

 tonwood is very firm. Gum has weakened 

 slightly and seems to be more plentiful 

 than at last report. Hickory, sycamore, 

 elm and the other woods handled in this 

 market are about as last reported. 



CINCINNATI. 



There are practically no changes in local 

 hardwood conditions. Business is still in 

 a very satisfactory state, and indications 

 are that it will continue very favorable all 

 summer and into the fall. Inquiries are 

 steadily coming in, and sales ai-e not very 

 hard to effect The greatest difficulty is 

 not to sell lumber but to get it after it 

 is sold, and even then tlie affair is not 

 settled, as it is a very hai-d matter to 

 have the lumber shipped, as some of the 

 southern roads are completely choked up 

 with business. It is no uncommon thin^ 

 to have cars in transit for thirty days. The 

 car shortage question also has not been 

 solved to the satisfaction of everyone, as 

 some of the roads are very shy on rolling 

 stock. The retail trade reports business as 

 being good. 



Inquiries for poplar lumber are common 

 but as far as can be ascertained sales are 

 not so frequent. Just at present common 

 poplar seems to be having a steady call. 

 There is also some demand for select pop- 

 lar. In firsts and seconds poplar, tlun-, 

 ner than inch is being mostly sought after. 

 Six-quarter and eight-quarter stock also 

 has some call. Dry stocks are exceed- 

 ingly scarce and prices are not as firm as 

 formerly. 



The demand for oak lumber is steady 

 and consistent, with prices high and firm, 

 and dry stocks hard to locate. Quartered 

 oak has fallen off a little in demand in the 

 grade of firsts and seconds, while a slight 

 improvement has been noticed in the call 

 for common stock. Cull oak (or, correctly 



