HARDWOOD RECORD 



37 



making quicker deliveries tban a month ago. 

 Iietter weather, too, has helped local firms to 

 get stock in shape for delivery and there is 

 much less complaint on all sides about back or- 

 ders. 



No changes in prices have occurred. Dealers 

 are sticking close to quotations. There is a 

 general belief that the price of some grade- . 

 oak will go up after September 1. This is at 

 present the best seller on the hardwood list, for 

 the railroads and mining companies continue to 

 take a big amount of oak timber. Contractors 

 have been calling for quantities of quarter- 

 sawed oak during the last few weeks, and di- 

 mension stuff is going at a good rate. 



Quite a little beech has been sold through 

 Pittsburg offices lately as a substitute for hem- 

 lock, which continues very scarce. Maple is in 

 active call. From the small mills of western 

 Pennsylvania a considerable amount of birch 

 and cherry are being shipped, most of it going 

 to furniture companies. Hickory, ash and elm 

 are also coming out from the smaller mills in 

 fairly good quantities. The demand for hard- 

 wood finish is much stronger than two months 

 ago. This fall will see a large number of resi- 

 dences of a better type started and it is the 

 opinion of experienced dealers that there will 

 be a strong demand for hardwood finish well 

 into the winter months. 



Buffalo. 



The midsummer lull has reduced the de- 

 mand for hardwoods, but dealers are fairly 

 well satisfied with their trade and look for a 

 good movement in the fall. Stocks are not 

 very plentiful as a rule, though there is less 

 complaint than there was some time ago. 

 Plain oak is the fastest seller and promises to 

 tax the energies of the trade to keep a stock 

 of it, especially as the already unfavorable 

 conditions of too much rain in the Southwest 

 have now been increased by a yellow fever 

 scare. 



One of the larger dealers here predicts that 

 the fall trade, even if it is only fair, will put 

 plain oak up. and he is well posted on the 

 stock in sight and the state of the demand. He 

 is so sure of what he says that he is getting 

 up all the new stock possible. Quartered oak 

 is doing fairly well, but it is not going to take 

 the place of plain, as was thought likely in 

 the spring. Birch is a great seller and it is 

 not possible to keep it in stock any length of 

 time. Both red and white sell well. 



There seems to be no life yet in basswood. 

 though some of the dealers are still looking 

 for it to move this season. Some dealers are 

 doing pretty well with chestnut, but the de- 

 mand is not very regular. Maple is perhaps 

 doing a little better, some dealers finding that 

 flooring is more in demand than formerly. The 

 sale of ash of all sorts is limited entirely by 

 the supply. It is wanted everywhere. There 

 is about enough white ash to meet the de- 

 mand, but black and brown ash comes in only 

 now and then, as dealers discover them in 

 unexpected localities. 



Southern woods are selling well, although it 

 is doubtful if poplar will ever resume anything 

 of its old activity in the North. Dealers who 

 have it in the South say that it sells there 

 much more readily than it does here. Cypress 

 is doing well. 



Memphis. 

 There is a fair demand for some lines o( 

 hardwood lumber, but general business is not 

 active, the dullness being pronounced in some 

 directions. Those who were looking for a 

 great revival of activity in the summer have 

 been somewhat disappointed. Prices are well 

 maintained, however, and there is no dispo- 

 sition to place anything on the bargain coun- 

 ter. Dry stocks are not large and not a few 

 members of the trade here are beginning to 

 wonder where they will be able to get stock 

 with which to rill their orders. Production is 



low thi i 



ginning of th- spring were somewhat light. 

 Logging opei Interfered with still 



and the indies re for ■ < reduced output 



for some tin* m Meantime it i- 



pected that, there will be some demand from 

 consumers whi been holding out of the 



market and thi lumbi rmen here 



feel confident. 



The best demand is (or plain ":,k, cypress 

 and ash. Then i moderated lai 



ness in clear .- i ,n,i s ii. I thin 



gum. Dow grade gum is steady, > ■ l s t the de- 

 mand for it is not large. Cottonw 



slow, while there I not much doing in poplar, 

 outside of the higher grades, which 

 with some freedom. Quarter-sawed oak is 

 very quiet, with little tendency toward im- 

 provement. Prices for plain oak. ash. cypress 

 and thin gum are very satisfactory. 



Grand Rapids. 

 The past fortnight has been quiet in lumber 

 circles. Prospects for fall business are bright. 

 Furniture manufacturers have, as a rule, re- 

 ceived more orders tban they did a year ago. 



Cincinnati. 

 There has been fair activity in this market 



during the past two weeks. Prices have I n 



well sustained, as a rule. The demand has been 

 largely from domestic sources, although a num- 

 ber of flattering export orders were received. 

 Furniture manufacturers are expected to come 

 into the market for liberal quantities of hard- 

 woods in the near future, and a decided im- 

 provement in the situation is anticipated inside 

 of a month. As for some time, plain oak has 

 proved the feature of the market, a good de- 

 mand and not excessive stocks causing firmness 

 in this wood. Quartered white and red oak 

 meet with a fair call. Ash and cypress find a 

 ready sale at full figures. Some dealers report 

 a better inquiry for the higher grades of pop- 

 lar, but culls still remain extremely quiet. In- 

 quiries for cottonwood and gum are plentiful. 



Ashland District. 



I 'ining the month of July the demand for the 

 lower grades of poplar, which for some time 

 has been rather sluggish, suddenly boomed, anil 

 now bids fair to at least equal the heavy de 

 mand which has been current for the higher 

 grades, and manufacturers of ihis section expect 

 the fall trade to round out a banner year. 



The ready market througl I the summer sea 



son has been, a source of wonder to all con 

 cerned, and even the more conservative of local 

 lumbermen are looking forward to an unlimited 

 continuance of same. 



In other lines, especially in oak. the outlook 

 is as good as in poplar, ami the fact of the mat- 

 ter is that very Mule eft'or! is being made to 

 further the sale of oak. owing to the meager 

 supply of stock in shipping condition. Taking 

 the situation all in all. it is certainly pleasing. 



Chattanooga. 

 There seems to !..- a slight improvement in 

 lumber conditions among the local mills and 

 lumbermen here denl that a 



the usual midsummer dullness is over the ,1 , 



outlook will lie much brighter. 



are more Inquirl ' plain and quartered oak 



than during any time ibi- summer. Prices 

 tinue about the P' "■■' ot an 



increase s i. It" tin- demand very 



rapidl] this fail. unable to supply 



-locks are even now very short. The time 



has ,ome when II Id country mill has been 



relegated i" the i by the march of proj 

 and the timber al< ig the trunk railroad lines 

 ami in the vail. . een exbaue 



limber now 'bat which ha 



unmolested ' food 



quiet, and denial his grade ar< 



i trade is Improi Ing and 

 Is more confidence among than 



me. 

 . I lumbermen ai 



ma ami M 

 sippi. as (bey believe ||inl if j, ,. j,,,,. 



grow serious it will bring about Ion of 



operations in thi , .\|. 



readj ,. . ■ m s 



slssippi and i ami have slim down their 



mills. 



i in accounl of the recent tide, which ws 



exceptional one for the tin ( year, the local 



liver mills are now better Supplied win, 



than they have i n for some time. Tbey win 



have a sufficient amount to run them well up 

 Into the fall m.. nibs. 



Nashville. 



Local lumbermen, while facing Hie usual .lull 

 ness of .inly and August, report a decided Im- 

 provemenl over the trade of the same period "f 

 last year. Present conditions point to a brisk 

 fall busllfess. The river is l,,w at present, ami 

 will likely remain so until late In the fall. Until 



then little lumber will CO to Nashville by 



water, which is the usual d transporta- 



tion. 



Plain oak is siiii in strong demand Red oak 

 is selling better than white. Quartered red oak 

 is slow, while the demand tor quartered white is 

 showing Improvement Chestnut ami ash are 

 ami there is a good demand for ail grade* 

 and thicknesses. Hickory is Id I mand, 



No surplus of poplar Is Holed. 



Minneapolis. 

 While the demand lor lumber products of all 

 kinds is undergoing the temporary Blackness 

 Incident i>. the season, everything ravors a good 

 volume of business for the fail ami winter. The 

 sash and door factories have been way behind 

 with orders all summer, and thej have turned 

 out a vast amount of special work in hard- 

 w Is. Receipts Of this class of lumber at Min- 

 neapolis have been heavy rhis Bummer. The 

 furniture factories are not doing a great deal, 

 but business with them is not usually L'>>"d 

 at this season Tin- Implement factories are 

 ig to be heavy buyers this lull. Stinks .].- 

 lined for Chicago delivery, that have been car- 

 ried by the owners on account of the strike, have 

 been called for and are now being delivered, 

 which relieves the situation considerably 



The bad slump in coi lock has turned 



considerable elm and basswood, formerly workisj 

 up for staves and heading. Into lumber. Bass 



wood has t n rather weak in price, but Is 



si.. wim; in demand and a little stronger in quo- 

 tations of late. The rapid increase in white 

 pine prices has favored basswood. will, b ' 



tually cheaper for some purposes than pine 

 Northern oak ill Shipping condition i- still bard 

 to fiml. and the trade Is awaiting anxiously for 

 new slo.k to dry oul so ii .an be handled, i an 



siderable southern oak has con p Into this 



territory during the fts the southern 



rondg have been able to handle shipments 

 promptly and customers have been phased with 

 n, ,, speeds dell! ir order*. Bin h has 



been a g I selli : and new 



stock lipped i" a largi While 



prices are not unusually Una. 



Elm, and especially r... k elm, which Is growing 

 In fa ..inn of i' ' high 



ing of all 



many buildings are reach in re that re- 



only 

 In scattered loti 



i their or- 

 ders at pre 



Kansas City. 

 Hardwoi Ihls point 



the 



