22 



THE HARDWOOD RECORD. 





Market ReportJ 



CHICAGO. 



There lia.s been a very goocl demand for 

 hardwoods during the month of August, 

 -and the prospects for a big fall trade 

 look more encouraging every week. Yard 

 dealers are anticipating the usual car 

 shortage this fall and are stocking up. 

 Dealers carrying stocks at mill points are 

 informing their customers of the likely 

 state of affairs in this regard later in' the 

 year and are urging them to fill up their 

 storage yards to their fullest capacity now. 

 The appreciation of the value of this ar- 

 gument has no doubt been the cause in a 

 considerable degree for the unusual ac- 

 tivity during the dull month of August 

 and will continue to be one of the reasons 

 for a good movement in September. The 

 ■chief reason for the healthy action in 

 liardwoods, however, is, of course, the 

 very good call for stocks all the time and 

 iin apprehension which now amounts to 

 a. certainty on the part of the buyer that 

 owing to continued scarcity of dry stocks 

 prices will advance before the year closes. 



There is no question as to what the sit- 

 uation will be in a general way. As a 

 whole the entire list of hardwoods seems 

 destined to share in the general prosperity. 

 There are some defective signs in pai'- 

 ticular cases, but these particular cases are 

 fio few in number that they are hardly 

 worth mentioning. 



All of the .southern woods, outside of 

 <juartered red oak, are in good fair de- 

 inand. Plain white oak is not as much 

 sought after as the state of affairs war- 

 rants, and there is a little sagging in cidl 

 poplar and cottonwood. In the northern 

 varieties there is but little concern felt, for 

 the situation is decidedly strong. The 

 dealers, i-ecoguizing that the season's cut 

 •of maple has practically been bought up 

 at mill points, are stiffening ui3 on their 

 prices. Basswood in the better grades is 

 in .strong demand. Box common bass- 

 Wood is a little slow just at present. There 

 is only a little life- in the local birch mar- 

 ket and scant reason for an immediate im- 

 provement. The demand is only fair and 

 .supply is sufficient, without the addition 

 of this year's cut, which is now, or soon 

 will be, coming on the market. There 

 f?eems to lie also plenty of soft elm to 

 fully meet the demands. 



All the factories in and around Chicago 

 <ire busy and buying freely as if they an- 

 ticipated a continuation of good business. 

 Furniture manufacturers say that pros- 

 pects were never better in their line and 

 all classes of manufacturers are experi- 



encing the same state of affairs to a more 

 or less degree. 



Under such circumstances we cannot see 

 anything l)ut good tim'es for the hardwood 

 l\iml>ermen. 



CINCINNATI. 



Cincinnati. U., August 10, 100-2. 



As miglit be expected at this time of 

 the year, trade is a little quiet. The 

 changes are few and comparatively un- 

 important. This is the season for vaca- 

 tions and many of the largest manufac- 

 turers and dealers are away from home, 

 ti.king a well-deserved rest, after a very 

 busy year. As this is true of all busi- 

 nesses, the buying is very light and will 

 continue to be so until everyone once 

 more settles down to active work. The 

 furniture manufacturers are already 

 )-. outing around with a view of placing 

 large orders for future delivery. Indica- 

 tions point to a very heavy demand for 

 lumber this fall. The general impression 

 prevalent among local dealers is that prices 

 will be higher than ever this fall. They 

 base their conclusions on the fact that 

 ver.v little surplus lumber is now on the 

 market and also on the fact that very little 

 ji'is been sawed during the past few 

 months. 



Building is still very active and many 

 uf the larger contracts have, been let to 

 oiitsiders because of the inability of the 

 local contractors to take care of all of 

 tiie business offered them. 



The state of the export trade is very 

 encouraging and many consignments of 

 lumber are now being made to markets 

 across the ocean. Poplar, oak, gum and 

 cottonwood are mo.stly sought after by the 

 exporters. The German trade has taken 

 very strongly to gum and cottonwood. 



Although it is a'lmost two weeks since 

 the poplar manufacturers made the latest 

 advance on their product, the local dealers 

 have not yet finislied discussing the move. 

 The main contention seems to be that it is 

 impossible to get $40 f. o. b. cars Cincin- 

 nati for inch firsts and seconds poplar. 

 .\nother thing that makes it harder to sell 

 poplar at the advance is that the demand 

 has fallen off very materiall.v and the 

 poplar trade is very quiet at present. Just 

 at present No. 3 common seems to be the 

 most favored, particularly in thin stock. 

 The best demand for Srsts and seconds 

 seems to be for thick lumber. The de- 

 mand for No. 1 common is very light at 

 present. 



In spite of the fact that trade in gen- 



eral seems to be quiet, gum lumber is 

 meeting with very fair success: Firsts 

 and seconds in all thicknesses have ready 

 sale for e.xport. The demand for firsts 

 and seconds red gum for the dome.stie trade 

 just at present is not very heavy. No. 1 

 common red gum is doing well, as is No. 3 

 common, which is being used for crating. 

 Clear sap gum is quiet, as is also the de- 

 mand for sap common. 



The demand for cottonwood, while still 

 ver.v good, has fallen off a little. The 

 European market is taking care of the 

 u].per grades. The box common grade is 

 still in heavy demand on this side. There 

 is also a heavy demand for No. 3 common 

 cottonwood, which, when resawed, makes 

 a very good -crating lumber. 



An improvement is noticed in the de- 

 mand for quartered red oak; incidentally 

 it may also be stated that this stock is 

 getting to be very scarce. Quartered 

 white oak also is in good demand. The 

 demand for plain white and red oak is 

 still good, although it shows the effect of 

 the season a little. The above is true 

 mostly of the upper grades, as the lower 

 grades are quiet at present. 



Chestnut is in good demand and in al- 

 most all grades except No. 3 common. 

 Prices are high and firm. 



Ash is in fairl.v good demand and prices 

 are reasonable. 



Cypress is still liolding up its end and 

 t)ie demand seems to be improving. 



The other hardwoods are not doing so 

 well. 



ST. LOUIS. 



All of the St. Louis wholesalers report 

 that they are fully satisfied with the vol- 

 ume of their business and they also state 

 that there are fewer causes for worry at 

 present than for many a long day. All 

 things are not as we would have them, 

 but there is less complaint than would be 

 the case were St. Louis alone aftlicted with 

 poor stocks of dry lumber. As one dealer 

 puts it, "I would like to be able to buy as 

 mucli lumber as I need, but I don't want 

 the stock conditions in other markets to 

 change." 



This question of stocks is the para- 

 mount issue in St. Louis just now. All 

 of the dealers admit that their stocks are 

 badly broken and that there is no valid 

 excuse for a man to have a car of any- 

 thing on hand that is more than ninety 

 days dry. The repeated and strenuous 

 efforts to increase stocks have met with 

 poor success, but the buyers are being 



