30 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



ket, the output of plants having been arranged 

 for months in advance. This is due in part 

 to the active inquiry, which has been unusually 

 spirited during the entire year, but more to the 



ity of labor in the lumbering regions. 

 Railroad building and other enterprises that 

 pay nominally higher wages, though they of- 

 fer but temporarj employment, have diverted 

 thousands of men, (-specially in the southern 

 states, from the lumbering regions, and 

 of the mills have been idle a part of the time 

 for this reason. In addition heavy rains have 

 greatly interfi n i with operations. The quan- 

 tity of lumber reaching this mark' 

 haps smaller than in former years, which has 



increased prices, which are high for the - 



grades, though culls can be obtained at low 



figures. Ash is hardly less active than oak, 



S eagerly sought by the local woodworking 



establishments. Large quantities of the \\ I 



are used lor interior finishing, and the fac- 

 tories that turn out this class of work are verj 

 busy. Chestnut, walnut and other hard* 



ni good demand, witli the exception of 

 poplar, the inquiry for which seems I" lag, 

 though quotations at present are 1 1 « ■ t inordi- 

 nately high. The sluggishness in the demand 

 is attributed by sonic dealers t" the action 

 .if the manufacturers in putting up prices be- 

 yond the level justified by the law of supply 

 and demand, which caused consumers to look 

 around for other woods to take the plai 

 poplar. It is likely that in a short tine the 

 demand lor poplar will become taoii 

 iinunced, the future being determined solely 

 by the matter of values. For the present 

 neither the domestic nor exporl trade is a 



- caller for poplar, though price 

 fairly well kepi up. < >ak is going rorward to 

 foreign countries In moderately large quan- 

 tities. Stocks abroad an liberal, and the ad- 

 vanced level of values In this ■ stricts 

 ih- distribution abroad bringing the oak sup- 

 ply from other sources Into more suci essful 

 competition with the American \\ i 



firms as well as their employes are out of the 

 city. The forces that are left are kept busy an- 

 swering inquiries, something that rarely occurs 

 at this season. Little improvement is expected 

 in the lumber market before September. Trade 

 in general has fallen off a little during the past 

 two weeks, but it is still above expectations. 



Stocks are just fair. Hemlock is very hard 

 to get and prices are firmly maintained, 

 i ink is selling at prices full up to quotations. 

 willi the market well in the hands of the whole- 

 saler. Other hardwoods are selling in fair quan- 

 iiti.-s. poplar being a decided leader. Maple, 

 especially for flooring and for furniture stocks, 

 [ng well in- the season. There is a steady 

 list of small orders reported but few sales of 

 importance have been noted since August 1. 



Philadelphia. 



The usual August let-down has not struck 

 this market up to present writing and the 

 .i. n,, mil keeps up equal practically t" earlier 

 in tin- Beason. Oak Is freer tl lously 



i been Increased with no larger 



.all for use. No shading Is noted in spll 

 Tin lining up oi Poplar Is on the mend 



and should Improve. Common of g i coloi 



is quoted : ■ t $.;» to (32. Ash is steady and 

 prices are stiffening -i little owing to Inquiry 

 for figures mi so orders in be placed, 



but no sales at hlghei figures are repoi 



i is moving ii freely and supply 



is in good shape with loir demand. Chestnut 



stock own a what and prices are 



still stiff as demand is strong. Birch is re- 

 ceiving in- '! attention in this market than 

 heretofore and is likely to work into a good 

 position. let; run Is quoted at }'-■• to $J."i 

 with likelihood Of a little better figures soon. 

 Maple flooring Is moving well with g' 



I id. No I In inging $35.50 to $36. Cypress 



is strong and ui good demand at previous fig- 



ures. There is a good opening for cypress for 



house trim If the manufacturers will make 



t in that direction. 



a moderate demand for birch. A good sea- 

 sonable stock of most woods is to be found 

 in the hands of most dealers, and mills are 

 cutting out stock steadily. Next month a de- 

 cided improvement in trade is looked for. 



Buffalo. 



ig tic- hardwood dealers is still 

 bo oak. some of them saying that really good 

 quartered oak Is about as scarce as plain. A 

 number of small mills an- trying to turn out 

 quartered oak. with about the result that 

 might l» expei ted. Much of it is from logs 

 unlit fur quartering and not a little is badly 



d, so that really goo.l quartered oak is 

 aboul as hard to get as plain. Both are 

 verj d the production is small, with 



lb.- prospect of remaining so until tin- Mis- 

 sissippi valley fi mi- scare is over. This means 

 ock this year and consequent 

 Mm I'll..- Birch Is a strong second to oak 

 wiib respect to demand, and it will grow in 

 demand ind carclty as long as oak is in its 



ut condition. Pome dealers say thai 

 chestnut is not very active, but others are of 

 the opinion thai it will take the place of oak 

 inor. and more and are holding it firm. It 

 is not popular in all markets, but ought 

 i,, onger everywhere. Ash is 



mm. and black ash hard to get. Then Is 

 ii pli but it sells in small 

 at some profit, and there is prom- 

 ise of aii increased need, especially for floor- 

 ing, so long as southern pine is so scan 

 and high. Cypress is firm. About the only 

 hardwood thai Is not active is basswood. 

 Dealers still find 11 too plentiful, and then i 

 small indication ol a stir al present Kim is 

 as scarce and firm as ever, and cheri 

 much moi e active than early in the sc a 

 Poplar is rather quiet, though stocks are llghi 

 willi assortments good. Hemlock fin- 

 market. 



Pittsburg. 



In the midst of the vacation season there Is 

 still maintained a remarkably good trade In 

 hardwood lumber. No sensations are reported, 

 and they are not expected In August. So much 

 of the unexpected has already occurred this sum- 

 mer that Pittsburg wholesalers are content to 

 "lay by" for a few weeks and await the coming 

 of the fall trade which the majority predict 

 will be heavy. At present many of the heads of 



Saginaw Valley. 



Tin- i- lb. dull month in lie- hardwood 

 lumber trade, yet few complaints are heard 

 Some manufai I - thai log run maple 



and basswood are not working off as readily 

 could be desired, hut ash, beech and oak 

 ar. particularly firm. A number of local deal- 

 ers handle large quantities of oak and other 



hern hardwoods, sending representatives 

 mil. visiting the mills, buying stock and 

 lie n shipping direct to the retailer or eastern 

 jobber. Two Saginaw firms handle a number 

 ..I million feet annually in this way, in addi- 

 tlon to their local business in native hard- 

 woods. While log run maple has been slow. 

 ..wing to the large production, it is doing 

 beit.i- now. due to the active demand for 

 maple flooring. 



isswood has been a little slow in demand, 

 and prices not particularly strong. There is 

 more of it handled here than generally known, 

 one firm alone handling 5,000,000 feet an- 

 nually, while there are a dozen firms handling 

 large quantities. Ash has been active, but tin 

 local supply is not large and dealers go South 

 for supplies to lill orders. Oak is brought 

 here from the South and considerable oak in 

 small lots is picked up in the slate. There is 



St. Louis. 

 There is but little if any change to note in 

 the condition of the hardwood market at this 

 Hue Trade seems to be still holding off to 

 some extent, though some buying and quite a 

 little inquiry has developed in the past few 

 days. Dry stocks of almost everything in 

 the hardwood line are low, and this is getting 

 to be the case with oak. which has been in 

 such active request for a long time past. Con- 

 ditions at the mills have militated against se- 

 curing new supplies to a great extent, and 

 the quantities now coming in are not fully 

 adequate to satisfy the demand there is in 

 prospect for the fall and winter trade. Green 

 oak has been taken more or less as necessi- 

 ties compelled, and the prices paid for it were 

 firm in nearly every instance reported. Quar- 

 tered oak has been in only fair movement, 

 but dealers are looking forward to a better 

 demand for it later on. Cypress continues In 

 good call, and cottonwood and gum are in 

 better demand than they have been for the 

 past two or three weeks. 



Memphis. 



There has been no material change in the 

 demand for hardwood lumber here during the 

 i i two weeks. The volume of business be- 

 ing transacted is quite up to the average for 

 tins season of the year. 



It is almost impossible to secure all tin 

 stock in plain oak firsts and seconds that is 

 needed and piices are firm. Offerings are be- 

 low requirements, and there is every indica- 

 tion, in the opinion of both manufacturing 

 ami wholesale Interests, that there will be an 

 outlet for every foot of plain sawed oak pro- 

 ne- d within the next six months. Common 

 oak is rather slow, with prices hardly as firm 

 as ilny were a few weeks ago, though the 

 amount available is not large. 



iter-sawed oak is rather slow of sale. 

 Manufacturers have so much faith in its ulti- 

 mate movement at good prices that they are 

 not pressing sales at the current level. The 

 lowei gradi of quarter-sawed oak, both red 

 and white, are not in strong demand. 



Ash is in excellent call in all grades, and 

 Hi. movement of this wood is very satisia. 

 buy. Offerings are not large in any direction 

 ami no accumulation of stock is possible under 

 existing conditions. There is also some ex- 

 port Inquiry for this wood. The advancing 

 I'M., of plain oak is undoubtedly causing the 

 Increased demand for ash. 



Cypress is another excellent seller in all 

 "i.oles. with the possible exception of shops. 

 The higher grades and selects are moving at 

 a rapid rate and prices are satisfactory. There 

 has b.en a large production of cypress this 

 season and yet there is no accumulation to 

 speak of, and conditions in this wood are ex- 

 ceptionally healthy. 



Gum is holding its own. There is a fairly 

 large movement in firsts and seconds red and 

 clear saps in thin stock, most of it going into 

 export channels. There is some domestic de 

 mand for inch red and thicker, and the same 

 statement applies to clear saps. The lower 

 grades are In fair request, with the offerings 

 only moderately large. Prices on low-grade 

 gum show slight tendency toward improve- 

 ment, though no actual advances are reported 

 so far. 



Cottonwood Is one of the dullest items on 

 the list. The demand for it is small and 

 prices are somewhat unsteady, especially on 

 the lower grades. Poplar in the higher grades 



