Mnrrli •.••., Ill 111 



rnxluction of Imrdwoixl lumber iu Mviiiphis is atcndily incroiu- 

 iii;.' :t in Hiill <-iiiiiii<tfrt(i nul. Ili);l> water in 



til- I') )■• n tliiii|> of tli< , JH no fiirtliiT tlirect 



lilt tliiit causo. Hiitvi'viT. llicrc in Ntill quite a 



|>rv '!);•' uf lo|^ uiul, until tliiH coinlitiuii is roinovod, 



there will neceasarily be k continuiition of rostrictoil hnnlwood 

 lumber output. Logging is non- conaiilcrnbly more active thiui 

 even a week or ten days ago, but the iinprovomcut is only relative 

 auil nutliini; like a nornint quantity of l(>|;!< enn bo brou(;lit out 

 even yet. Rut, while iniprovenieni lins no far rcxultcd in only 

 partial luj; Hupplirst, every eflfort is beinj; made to bring out tim- 

 ber, and nianufaoturerH now regard tlio outlook a.s somewhat 

 brighter. There ha.i been comparutix ely little rainfall in tlio ter- 

 ritory arounil Memphi-i during the pn.st fortnight aii<l tlicro has 

 been an unusual amount of wind. Tho latter has dried the ground 

 very rapidly and, if there is no more high water and if rainfall 

 does not exceed the average for the next few weeks, members of 

 the trade feel that a return to norninl hardwood manufacture may 

 Ik- wituesse<l somewhat earlier than was anticipated recently 

 when hiuh water and heavy rainfall gave everything pertaining to 

 logKiu); ancl milling operations an indi|;o hue. Still, while the out- 

 look is consi<lcred more favorable, optimism is none too vigorous 

 because it is realivced quite forcibly that practically ideal condi- 

 tions must prevail to insure even reasonably full production. 



Nearly all the mills in North Memphis as well as New South 

 Memphis have resumed operations and the same is true of box 

 plants and other woodworking enterprises. Reports from points 

 outside of Memphis also tell of a gradual resumption of mills 

 which were forced by recent high water, cither directly or indi- 

 rectly, to close down. But comparatively few of them have 

 enough timber to keep them going at full capacity and, when due 

 allowance is made for those still idle and for those that are not 

 running on full time, it will be uinderstood why hardwood output 

 is so limited as compared with normal. 



A new complication has entered into the hardwood supply and 

 distribution equation recently in the shape of a decided car short- 

 age. This has become quite serious during the past ten days and 

 no immediate relief is in sight. Box cars are notably scarce and 

 flat cars are also below requirements therefor. Logs are handled 

 altogether on flat cars and the scarcity of these is interfering to 

 a considerable extent with the movement of logs rot only into 

 Memphis but also into other milling points in this territory. In- 

 deed, the situation is far more favorable as affecting Memphis 

 than as touching points in this territory. There are numerous 

 roads entering Memphis and competition is therefore keen enough 

 to insure the best service to be offered, but towns which are on 

 a single line are really in a quite unenviable position so far as 

 facilities are concerned not only for handling log shipments but 

 shipments of lumber also. Deliveries of lumber from Memphis 

 are being mea.surably delayed bj- the shortage of cars and by the 

 embargoes maintained by the Illinois Central and Yazoo & Mis- 

 sissippi Valley roads into northern and eastern territory, particu- 

 larly the latter. None of the roads can furnish empties promptly 

 because they haven 't them. This applies at a big gateway like 

 Memphis and by how much other towns arc smaller as railroad 

 points by so much do they suffer in comparison with this city 

 when it comes to securing empty cars and having them moved 

 after they are loaded. Congestion on northern and eastern ter- 

 minals is said to be responsible for the car shortage in the South 

 and lumber interests express much pleasure over the fact that 

 the Interstate Commerce Commission has declared its intention 

 of taking a hand with a view to ameliorating conditions in the 

 congested area which have had serious ramifications in all parts 

 of the country. 



Demand for hardwoods continues active and shipments are as 

 large as reduced stocks of dry lumber and the car shortage wiU 

 allow. Practically everything on the hardwood list is in good 



request, high grado Cottonwood being tho one (triking exception. 

 There is a particularly htmni; cull fur plain red oak and for sup 

 gum, these being the leu'lern in point of activity and strength. 

 All grades of oak, however, are moving well nt enhanced quota- 

 tions, while tho proportiouH of demand for gum luid tho prices 

 being obtained therefor have been surprising revelations ovon to 

 those who have always been strong believers in the possibilities 

 of "America's finest cabinet wood." Ash, elm and hickory are 

 moving in considerable volume and prices are exceedin({ly well 

 maintained. The box manufacturers arc doing a record business 

 and they continue to take handsome care of all tho lowgrndo 

 Cottonwood an<l gum offerini; in this section. Kxport business is 

 practically nt a standstill and no early improvement is antici- 

 pated, particularly as the British government is disposed to build 

 up new barriers instead of removing those already erected against 

 imports of hardwood lumber and products made therefrom, includ- 

 ing furniture. Ocean freight rates are somewhat lower, but there 

 has been no appreciable increase in tonnage available for lumber- 

 men seeking business in foreign channels. Owing to the increasing 

 production of hardwood lumber, relations between supply and de- 

 mand promise to become somewhat less strained in tho next few 

 months, but dry lumber is so scarce now in many items that tho 

 belief obtains in well informed circles that present values are 

 on a sound basis and that they will probably advance somewhat 

 further before supply overtakes demand sufliciently to cause any 

 easing of consequence. 



Converting Short Oak Flooring 



The |iroblem of tlio short lengths is an ovor-prescnt one with 

 manufacturers of oak flooring. It is the ol)jection to short 

 lengths and the high percentage resulting from using low-grade 

 lumber that causes many oak flooring manufacturers to buy high- 

 grade strips in preference to low-grade for m.aking flooring. Yet 

 one of the ideas in connection with oak flooring is to make use 

 of low-grade boards by ripping and refining. The idea is good, 

 but the problem interwoven with it is tho disposition of short 

 stock. Of course part of the short stock should be used with 

 the other, but the users object, and even though a percentage 

 of it does go right along, there is often an accumulation of shorts 

 and trimmings. 



Occasionally a flooring man will make parquetry, which is a 

 good idea, but is generally taken hold of in the wrong way. The 

 parquetry people have to furnish long strips as well as short pieces 

 and square blocks and their work really calls for a higher grado 

 of strips than the manufacture of flooring itself. 



-•Vbout the best way is to work those short pieces into flooring 

 with the rest of the floor. This does not mean that they should 

 be forced on the customer with the other lengths. There is another 

 way. Accumulate the short pieces from the end matchers and 

 trimmings, and trim them to uniform lengths. Then get in com- 

 munication with a building contractor or hardwood flooring man 

 and arrange with ijiim to use them in borders and for paving 

 effects in hardwood flooring. 



Where the percentage of shorts runs too heavy, making it 

 objectionable to sell it with the regular stock, the better plan 

 is to trim and end mutch it to uniform length, say of 8, 10, 12 and 

 16 inches. Then box it up and sell in this form. It may take 

 a little time to develop trade connections, but it can be done and 

 will prove beneficial to the building contractor and to the flooring 

 man. The short pieces can be used for border and parquetry 

 effects, thus obtaining a more artistic floor pattern than is prac- 

 tical with regular stock. 



Sometimes we abiise machines, and at other times we e-xpect more 

 of them than thev are reallv intended to do. 



