52 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



TROUBLE? 



Are vou havint 



any lumber ti"i>ul)le? 



clieck or 



vv 



Does your oak warp, split 

 honeycomb in the kiln? 



Does your gum stain, buckle, twist or 

 do the bucking broncho act? 



l-)o you have any difificulty with split 

 panels and defective glue joints? 



Do you have to dye, stain or refill your 

 lumber to get a uniform color? 



Do }ou have any reclaims on finished 

 goods from bad glue joints, finish or 

 other reasons? 



You can cure all your lumber troubles 

 by using 





cure 



LUMBER 



TRADE MARK 



You don't have to buy Kraetzer-Cured 

 Lumber — you can produce it yourself 

 from air-dried, half-dry or green stock. 



Your lumber will then dry in your kilns 

 quick, straight and free of all defects. 



We will tell you where to buy Kraetzer- 

 Cured Lumber, if you ask us. 



We wilf tell you about the Kraetzer 

 Preparator, the use of which insures the 

 quick and accurate seasoning of lumber, 

 if you ask us. 



We will send you a new and interesting- 

 pamphlet involving the entire theory 

 and practice of steaming wood under 

 pressure, if you ask us. 



ASK US 



The Kraetzer Company 



537 S. Dearborn St., CHICAGO 



orders are more in number and for larger quantities than last moutb. 

 The advent ol' buyers in the wholesale market is due more perhaps to 

 the condition o£ stoclis on hand rather than to an improved trade in 

 consuming channels. It is well linown that stocks in yards and in man- 

 ufacturers' hands are badly broken even where the quantity is fairly 

 large, and this is no doubt responsible tor the better wholesale market 

 prevailing. This is not to say that the retail trade is not better than 

 in the closing months of last year. There is a stronger feeling throughout 

 the whole market and a firmer condition is bound to result from the 

 present state of affairs. Prices continue firm with no changes to speak 

 of. Beech, ash and oak are in good call at prices which allow fair 

 margins. Gum continues slow and prices for this lumber are unsteady. 

 The building lines are picking up and this must be followed by better 

 demand for hardwoods. 



■< PHILADELPHIA >■ 



There has been a tangible advance in the hardwood market during the 

 last fortnight, with a daily growing optimism as to outlook. The opinion 

 generally obtains that the worst is past and that a gradual betterment 

 in trading may be looked for from now on. Buyers are realizing that 

 stocks at the mill ends are none too heavy and are consequently placing 

 orders to protect themselves in the near future, .\lthough locally things 

 are more or less quiet, there is evidence of a building boom in the large 

 suburban towns to begin with the advent of propitious weather. The 

 long desired improvements for a greater Philadelphia, there is every reason 

 to believe now, will soon crystalize into a reality, as a special election 

 has been called for March 31, to create a loan of $12,900,000 as be- 

 ginning towards the removal of grade crossings ; extension of the belt 

 line to the river front ; erection of twelve new docks, etc. ; building of 

 an art gallery and museum on the new boulevard and constructing of 

 subways and elevated roads to every corner of the city, all of which 

 will mean work for thousands of artisans and mechanics, who. as they 

 are the two-story dwellers and constitute the bulk of the population, 

 will in turn be able to buy more freely and thus give an impetus to 

 business and the trade generally. Taking the situation as a whole, the 

 outlook in Philadelphia is luminous. Reports from the New England 

 travelers testify to a brightening up in that Held, with a strong optimistic 

 feeling as to outlook. In the local market oak is reported steady ; chest- 

 nut quiet, no change in poplar, maple, beech and birch holding their own. 



=-< BOSTON y- 



No particular evidences have appeared in the last fortnight indicating 

 ;iny great change in the hardwood situation here. Some dealers report 

 improvement over recent conditions while others affirm that any reported 

 .uain is imaginary. Deliveries have been slow and uncertain owing to 

 the extreme weather of the past four weeks. This delay to business in 

 general has not had an appreciable effect on prices, and in the minds 

 of some, it is the indication of a "necessity-demand" in the near future 

 on account of shortening of stocks in the consuming market. It is safe 

 to say that this is a consistent view and one which widely prevails in 

 this section among the dealers in hardwoods, as the comparatively heavy 

 offerings by manufacturers by mail and visits have affected prices on 

 only a few items, principally poplar and more especially in wide stock. 

 Plain oak always has a wide range in this market on account of the 

 many varieties offered, hut the average prices are now equal to what 

 they have been recently. Quartered oak is strong in price, but not in 

 volume moving. Little may be said of beech, birch and maple condi- 

 tions except to repeat that beech is unmistakably increasing in value, 

 while there are a few reports on maple indicating a little tendency to a 

 lower basis. With conditions admittedly somewhat adverse, the market 

 as a whole shows confidence by the dealers and a general tendency toward 

 holding strong 



=-< BALTIMORE >= 



The hardwood trade situation has not improved during the past two 

 weeks ; on the contrary, it may be said to have become less satisfactory, 

 the prevalence of quiet in the trade being now generally admitted. Re- 

 ports of large stocks in the yards of this country are reinforced with 

 statements as to extensive accumulations and excessive offerings abroad, 

 especially in the lower grades, with the range of prices sagging, if not 

 actually weak. The first month of the year was productive of fairly 

 satisfactory results, and agreeable expectations were being entertained 

 b.v the hardwood men when they experienced a check in the demand and 

 values rather suddenly slumped. From a feeling of comparative confi- 

 dence the trade shifted somewhat precipitately to one of uncertainty, 

 and at the present time the outlook is not at all reassuring. In all 

 probability there is nothing really wrong about business, but lumbermen 

 nevertheless are disposed to go slow. To this hesitancy has been added 

 a heavy snow tall and cold weather, which to a certain extent curtails 

 the movement, interfering also with operations at the mills. Of course, 

 salesmen are being sent out and efforts made to keep up to the record 

 of .Tanuary in point of volume, but this is decidedly more difficult than 

 it promised to be not so long ago. Reports as to the supply are rather 

 couflicting. some of the manufacturers stating that the offerings are 

 heavier than Is conducive to fair returns, while others assert that they 

 could ship more lumber if it were in proper shape. The winter has 

 been bad for drying, and as a consequence manufacturers are rather 



