HARDWOOD RECORD 



27 



less be as much trade as can be handl> id 

 Chicago jobbers very soon after midsummer. 

 People in the trade generally feel very opti- 

 mistic over the future. 



Boston. 



Hardwood stocks are comparatively low in 

 local circles, among retail yard dealers and 

 also among manufacturers of interior wood- 

 work. Wholesalers are having a period of un- 

 usual quiet, although as a rule the volume 

 Of trade was strong and satisfactory during 

 the early part of the year almost up to June 

 1. Judging from the "feel" of the market 

 here, there is no accumulation of stock at the 

 mills, with the possible exception of quartered 

 white oak, although offerings have been made 

 in several kinds of hardwoods at prices lower 

 than heretofore. 



Several new kinds of hardwood have been 

 offered to the wholesale trade recently, but as 

 the prices are more than prohibitive it is un- 

 likely that the new woods will be more than 

 curiosities for some years to come. One speci- 

 men was unusually attractive, labeled Austra 

 lian oak, having a hard, compact texture, a 

 color and grain or flake spot that suggested 

 sycamore, offered by a Vancouver (B. C.) con- 

 cern, the price $225 per thousand f. o. b. cars 

 Boston. Philippine hardwood samples are be 

 ginning to appear in divers places, probably 

 as a result of the use of Philippine woods in 

 President Roosevelt's Oyster Bay home. 



Quartered white oak is easier as compared 

 with demand, prices ranging from $75 to $80 ; 

 likewise plain white oak. for which, in inch 

 ones and twos, $49.50 to $51.50 is being ob- 

 tained. Brown ash is sympathetically affected 

 and concessions are being made on the ruling 

 prices of $50 to $51 for inch ones and twos. 

 The demand for 2Vi-inch face and other widths 

 of clear face maple flooring is surprisingly 

 good, and a price of $37.50 prevails firmly on 

 the former items, lengths two feet and up. 

 Elm boards, common and better, are selling at 

 .•<38 to $40. Sound wormy chestnut is finding 

 a ready market at $19.50 to $20.50. Cherry 

 is a strong favorite at $95 for inch ones and 

 twos, up to $125 for thick stock. Poplar is 

 not selling very well and offerings are being 

 made on a somewhat lower level than that of 

 the past two weeks — $47.50 to $48 — although 

 it is hard to determine poplar values owing 

 to what may be termed the fluctuation in 

 grades. Compared with the grades of eight 

 or ten years ago, some of the whitewood now 

 sold in this market is at least a full grade 

 lower, i. e., a good No. 1 common of '95 to 

 '97 compared favorably with today's ones and 

 twos in many instances. Shipping culls in 

 those days were often as good as our com- 

 mon grades of today — but the logs are not 

 running as they did and timber is becoming 

 more inaccessible yearly and costs so much 

 more to log and manufacture that "there's a 

 reason." Cypress is selling in limited quan- 

 tities. Very dry stock is worse than scarce 

 and deserves the high price which it com- 

 mands. Ordinarily, dry stock sells on a basis 

 of $44 to $44.50 for inch ones and twos. Ma 

 hogany rules at $160 to $165 for fair to good 

 figure and grade. 



New York. 



There is little new to note in the local 

 hardwood situation except, perhaps, that the 

 movement of lumber in the wholesale market 

 for the past fortnight has shown a slight fall- 

 ing off, as is also the case with the hardwood 

 yard dealers. This condition is probably due 

 to the fact that it is a little between seasons 

 now, and the lull, it is believed, will be but 

 momentary. It cannot be said that then 

 anything soft in the situation, however, as 

 prices are holding firm on practically all 



items. The improvement in the poplar sit- 

 uation, which was noted in our last report, 

 continues, and it is now in better condition 

 than it has been for a long time. Plain oak 

 likewise continues active, but some of the 

 other items are a little slow. The volume 'if 

 building under way and the amount planned 

 for the summer and fall is large, and the local 

 situation as a whole holds a good outlook for 

 future values and demands. 



Philadelphia. 



Lumber trade: conditions in this city and 

 vicinity are good. An excellent demand ex- 

 ists for all kinds of stock at satisfactory 

 prices. The general demand for hardwoods 

 this season has been fully up to the average 

 of former years and decidedly better than last 

 spring. Most hardwood dealers have had, all 

 this season, more orders than they could take 

 care of, a condition of affairs unprecedented 

 in this city. The mills have all the orders 

 they can handle for sixty days or more, and 

 not a lew plants have sold ahead. Inquiries 

 are constantly being received, and under 

 their influence a decrease in any of the list 

 prices is not likely. 



Business with the majority of manufactur- 

 ers and wholesalers is every bit as brisk as 

 at any time during the earlier months of the 

 year. The exception is the concern which 

 has but a small supply of stock to offer and 

 that of a character that does not meet the 

 usual needs. The yards are particularly busy 

 tilling the demands of the retail trade. They 

 have been successful, the past few weeks, in 

 receiving some of the bills they ordered weeks 

 and even months ago. With these supplies 

 on hand they are well able to care for what 

 is offered them. While many building opera- 

 tions are nearing completion hundreds of 

 small jobs are under way, which means more 

 or less to the dealer. Quotations in all lines 

 are such as to make a prospective buyer be- 

 lieve there is no such thing as a list. But 

 when it is taken into consideration that the 

 dealers have not had a liberal supply of stock 

 all season, and the assortment is generally 

 broken, the divergence of prices is reasonable 

 enough. 



The scarcity of plain oak is still the lead- 

 ing feature in the trade and promises to re- 

 main so for some time to come. In its place 

 large quantities of quartered oak are being 

 sold, yet the difference in price is entirely too 

 great. Cypress finds an easy outlet and Cot- 

 tonwood is firmer in box material than at any 

 time this season. Maple and maple flooring is 

 easily disposed of at good prices. Ash is a 

 good seller and no trouble is found in dispos- 

 ing of it in any quantity. Birch is also in 

 good request, and is being bought freely by 

 factories. Basswood is not much called for 

 at present, but chestnut commands a large 

 share of the hardwood business. Spruce con- 

 tinues strong as also does poplar. Values 

 range high for almost all stock. 



Nashville. 

 The Nashville market at present is ban 

 plain oak, the demand far exceeding the supplj 

 ..u hand or obtainable at this time. Quartered 

 oak is in fairly sood demand and poplar, ash 

 and chestnut are holding their own. Du 

 the past four months local lumbermeu have had 

 an increase Of -'."> per cent in their business 

 a corresponding period for last year. Many 

 inquiries are coining from the East and middle 

 General building booms seem to be in 

 progress all over the country and the demand 

 tor lumber and building material made from it 

 is quite heavy. Unless :he river rises con 

 ably there will hardly be enough water to bring 

 down any considerable amount of timber In 

 the nea: : 



Bristol, Va. Term. 

 Trade In the lumber business in this -rity 

 and immeiii n [1 reported good, and 



dealers ami generally opti- 



mistic as to the future and well pleased with 

 the present situation. A number of new mills 



have 1 n started In this late, and 



the supply of stock has I n materially aug- 



ited in a few weeks. Hitherto, there has 

 been a slight scarcity of stock and a number 

 fallen considerably behind with 

 orders and have been under the necessity of 

 declining orders Cor Immediate or specific shlp- 

 ment The conditions in the market as re- 

 gards oak are very good, and It seems to be 

 more of a question where t" get oak stock than 

 one of price, as presenl prices are as much as 

 could be expected. Poplar is In fair demand, 

 with good prices, but there seems to be some- 

 what of a slack in the demand along with the 

 stiffening of prices. All the mills in this 

 tion are well stocked with logs, and the greater 

 part of them are running to their fullest capac- 

 ity daily. 



Baltimore. 



The most pronounced activity continues to 

 characterize the lumber trade of this section. 

 Hardwoods in particular are in strong de- 

 mand at figures that encourage the mills to 

 run to the limit of their capacity. Even then 

 it is impossible for the plants to keep up 

 with their orders, and a majority of them are 

 so much oversold that they are unable to 

 promise delivery for four or five months. This 

 is especially true with respect to oak planks, 

 which were perhaps never in more urgent 

 request. Any stocks that are at all servicea- 

 ble can be readily disposed of at prices which 

 leave an attractive margin of profit. All the 

 hardwood men express the conviction that 

 the present conditions will continue for an 

 indefinite period. Furniture manufacturers 

 and other consumers are using much hard- 

 wood and there are practically no unsold 

 stocks in the market. The important consid- 

 eration now is to secure lumber, and with 

 this end in view the dealers have men scour- 

 ing the hardwood regions in search of sup- 

 plies. It is not at all difficult to obtain the 

 current quotations for lumber, but even the 

 most tempting offers do not always suffice to 

 bring out stocks. The existing conditions 

 constitute a strong temptation for mill men 

 to evade their contractual obligations, and in 

 various quarters the belief Is expressed that 

 manufacturers under contract to supply lum- 

 ber at certain figures are sending their out- 

 put elsewhere because they can get better re- 

 turns. 



Ash is hardly less active and strong In price 

 than oak, and it is difficult to get lumber In 

 quantities and of the quality desired. The 

 same holds good with respect to hickory, 

 chestnut and other hardwoods. Though the 

 local trade is largely confined to oak and ash, 

 the rest of the woods cutting a relatively 

 small figure In the total of transactions. But 

 whatever the wood, now is the time when the 

 producer can make money, and he Is taking 

 advantage of his opportunity. The local 

 stocks are barely large enough for existing 

 requirements, which are being heavily drawn 

 on by the consumers. 



The export movement, too. Is of very grati- 

 fying proportions. Foreign buyers r 



ihe present quotations are based on an 

 actual scarcity of stocks and they are dis- 

 posed to meet the terms of the shii 

 though this is giving rise in an incr 

 measure to differences over tin- inspection and 

 rg, it being a favorite method of the 

 European dealer, if he Is obliged to pay n 

 tc endeavor to make up the difference by 

 tlous exceptions as to quality. Such 

 are always coming up, 



