70 



HARDWOOD 



l\ 



Start Somewhere 



No proposition can lie accuralcly ligiii'cd out 

 unless a startinj; point is fii-st established. 



Did you ever encounter a man who professed 

 that he was entirely satisfied with his lumhei- 

 kiln drying results? 



Will not even the expert tell yow that oeea- 

 sionally his lumber eomes through his kiln just 

 right — the next time it is too green — the next 

 time it is too dry — the next time that it is 

 checked, warped or honeycombed? 



There is a reason for it. 



i'Sually it is not the fault of the dry kiln. 



How can it be expected that woods of vari- 

 ous texture, various thickness or at various 

 stages of air dryness can be subjected in a kiln 

 to the same heat, the same ventilation, the same 

 duration of time and accomplish uniformly sat- 

 isfactory results? 



It is an impossible proposition. 

 START SOMEWHERE. 



Start with lumber that is uniform in texture 

 and drjaiess through and through. 



The solution of all lumber-drying difficulties 

 is the employment of 



niitlciiiiiti'd Is vciKlii'd for lij- iiiosi of tlw U.tuI 

 i slliiatliin In Chlrago. ns far as luinVicr i 

 II. and It socnis cvldi'iil lliai ll will nut In 

 pi-nuilsos arc fiilllllc'd. 



^■< NEW YORK y- 



Till' improvi-niiiil In mai-ki-t conditions wlikli has bwn so lonK cxpcctid 

 ■inis to l)i- on Its wa.v. for thprc arc noted some concrete I'xampli's of a 

 •ade revival. The volnine Is larger, and while most of the business Is 

 IV mixed lots — liidlcatlnK a hesitancy on the pari of buyers to give orders 

 ir stockhii; up— there are some Instances where time delivery orders are 

 •Ing placed. 'I'he stocks of lumber on hand at local yards and inanu- 

 iitorli's are sm.ill and badly broken, and no doubt the next thirty days 

 ill witness some future buying. It may be noted here that a fair volume 

 ■ Uils character of trade will give firmness to thi' market If it does not 

 Ivance prices. On the whole the price situation may l)e called satis- 

 utory. and In some cases — as in the better grades of ash — there are 

 itfbt advances. I'hestnut and cum are llw weakest Items In llie present 



=■< BUFFALO >• 



Tbe hardwood markit has improved this month, and most yards are 

 liiuling a pretty fair demand, considering the season. A more confident 

 fci'llng Is now prevailing and wholesalers are expecting the improvement", 

 lo continue and become more pronounced within a short tlini'. New stock 

 is coming in right along, and some yards will be handling a large amount 

 iif new lumber within the next month or two, much of it from the South. 

 Lower yard prices are prevailing in stfme woods, but the majority of 

 lartiwoods are being maintained on a pretty firm level. 



riain white oak is in rather abundant supply, and this Is causing a 

 iveakness in price, running as much as ."JO cents per thousand. Some yards 

 ire said to be making lower prices than usual in order to reduce their 

 arge supplies of this wood. Maple and birch are in fair demand and arc 

 inkling firm in price. In veneers tlie prevailing demand nowadays seems 

 to lie for birch. Chestnut is moving quite well. Itasswood is rather 

 ileiitiful. while elm in some grndes is scarcer. 



=-< PITTSBURGH >■= 



Ifeaeteer- cure \) 



tJ\D cOLUMBERtAy 



// TRADE MARK 



Tliis is lumber treated with steam under pressure in 

 the Kraetzer Patented Preparator. 



Lumber that has been treated in this apparatus is 

 fit for the kiln, whether it be 30 days old, 60 days old, 

 or six months old; is delivered without check, split, stain, 

 warp or other seasoning defects, and is of an uniform 

 and mellow texture and color. 



This lumber can be satisfactorily kOn-dried in the 

 simplest form of a kiln in one-third of the time that 

 ordinary air-dried lumber requires. 



The kOn will deliver this lumber as it received it, 

 save for dryness. 



Its milling qualities will be vastly improved, as also 

 its strength and elasticity. 



The big loss in shrinkage will be avoided. 



Furniture or interior finish made of Kraetzer-cured, 

 kiln-dried wood will hold its glue joints, stay where it 

 is put, and the shrinkage and swelling, even under vio- 

 lent atmospheric changes, is almost nil. 



It will take filler and even water stains without per- 

 ceptible raising of the grain. 



We will cheerfully supply the names and addresses 

 of all lumber manufacturers who employ the Kraetzer 

 Preparator, naming the kinds of woods they produce. 



Buy one car of steam treated lumber, handle it 

 through your kilns and into your finished product, and 

 you will be convinced that you cannot afford not to use 

 Kraetser-cured lumber. 



The same desirable results can be achieved on ordi- 

 nary air-dried lumber with a Preparator as an adjunct 

 to your dry kiln. 



The Kraetzer Company 



537 S. Dearborn St., CHICAGO 



The new- year is breaking away with excellent prospects for good busi- 

 ness ahead. Inquiries are more numerous, orders are a little mm-e plentiful, 

 industrial activities are much more in evidence, and prices of lumber are 

 going higher. All these factors indicate a return of good business, and 

 especially of safe and sane methods of handling the lumber trade. Whole- 

 salers are putting out man.v new men and making better connections at 

 the mills, indicating their confidence in the hardwood business for 1914. 

 The Pittsburgh district i.s rapidl.v recovering in an industrial way. Re- 

 sumption is tbe password all along the line. Inquiries from the big con- 

 cerns in this district are beginning to come in. showing that they are 

 going to be read.v buyers of lumber this year. For this reason wholesalers 

 are much encouraged and are getting ready to go after business this year 



a strong manne 



=-< COLUMBUS >- 



Quite an improvement in the hardwood ti-ade lias been noted in t^olum 

 bus since the first of the year. With the completion of their semi-annual 

 inventories dealers are buying more liberally. The inventories disclosed 

 the fact that stocks were low and that they must replenish them. Prices 

 are pretty well maintained at the levels which have ptevailed for some 

 timi\ Another feature of the trade is the better buying on tbe part of 

 certain factories. Implement and vehicle concerns are buying fairly well 

 :ind some demand is expected from furniture factories when the semi 

 annual shows are over. Reports seem to indicate that the furniture shows 

 are being successful. 



Preparations are being madc> for an active building season in the spring. 

 as architects and builders are busy on plans and specifications. Despite 

 the general business depression, the feeling in lumber circles is good. 

 Pry stocks of hardwoods are not very large, which is taken as a good 

 indication. Stocks in the hands of retailers are very small. Railroads are 

 now handling shipments prompti.v, as the car supply is adequate. Collec- 

 1 ions are not the best. 



Quartered oak is firm and the movement is fair. The same is true of 

 plain oak. I'oplar is moving better and prices are firm. Chestnut is 

 another strong point in the market. Basswood and ash are in fair 

 demand and other hardwoods are unchanged. 





=-< BALTIMORE >-= 



The past two weeks have biouKht no iiiiportani cliaiiges in the hard- 

 wood trade, it being still too soon after the beginning of the year for anyi 

 quickening influences to make themselves impressively felt. That thej 

 situation is stronger, however, appears to admit of no doubt. Even though! 

 prices have not advanced and the movement is yet ver^v much restricted,-' 

 decidedly more confidence prevails in the future, and the hardwood trade^ 

 lives in anticipation of what Tiiay be looked for in the near future.. 

 Already signs of an expansion in the movement are to be noted, and ifj 

 It has not assumed more pronounced shape this is perhaps due to the \ 

 open winter, which allows no fears of a shortage to come up. The mills', 

 continue operations with practically no lnt(>rrnption, and there are no , 



