April 10. 1916 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



41 



tieularly as far as factory purchases are concerned, has not been so 

 satisfying as it was earlier in the year. The present condition has 

 prevailed for the past few weeks and really has not shown any marljed 

 change since the last issue'. As there seems to be little prospect of 

 southern operators making any substantial, consistent headway for some 

 time to come on account of recurrent poor logging conditions, nothing 

 detrimental can be expected in the prices of southern hardwoods. North- 

 ern stocks are going well without sufficient stock being offered to 

 actually take care of all bids, and the result is a gradual strengthening 

 all along the line, particularly in thick stock. 



=< NEW YORK >-= 



Dealers here report the hardwood market stronger today than at any 

 time for several years. The demand continues to increase in the face 

 of steadily advancing prices, with practically every item in the list 

 feeling the change. The difficulties attending deliveries is causing a 

 most unusual condition ; some buyers with lumber en route when the 

 first embargo order came out were reluctant to duplicate orders in 

 markets that could then make delivery, with the result that the short- 

 age of stocks in some cases is close to a famine with small hope of 

 Improvement. Generally speaking the stocks in yard are far below 

 normal with no unusual amount of lumber offering in the wholesale 

 market. 



Beech and birch have advanced again and the demand continues to 

 Increase. Poplar is up $1 to $2 on some items while oak and chestnut 

 are firm at prices prevailing a month ago. Heavy ash and maple have 

 shown the lead toward higher values for the domestic hardwoods, both 

 being up several dollars over last month's quotations. The advance 

 in some cases is ?5 as in the case of 4/4 F-\S maple. The hardwood 

 flooring market is in .a strong condition and due for a rush demand 

 with the opening of the building season. Oak flooring is up $2 with 

 maple quoted .$1 higher than a month ago. Xo complaint is heard of 

 low prices or slow demand, the single bad feature of the current market 

 being the freight situation. 



=-< BUFFALO y 



The hardwood market maintains a firm tone and most yards report a 

 satisfactory improvement in business. The chief drawback is the rail- 

 road situation. Deliveries to the East are rendered uncertain by numer- 

 ous embargoes and loaded cars are held up for a number of days some- 

 times before starting out. 



Everything on the list is higher than a short time ago. The advance 

 in maple is about as great as in any other wood. Stocks of this -wood 

 have been moving out as fast as they come in and some green lumber has 

 been taken, owing to the scarcity of dry stock. The BulTalo market has 

 been carrying a good assortment of northern hardwoods and has con- 

 sequently profited a good deal by the demand from sources which need an 

 unexpectedl.v large amount of stock of maple, beech and birch. Plain and 

 quartered oak are maintaining a firm price. 



Floods have been rather severe in this section this spring, but they 

 were of short duration. Among the localities affected was Jamestown, 

 where some of the furniture factories experienced trouble from high 

 water. 



X PITTSBURGH >.. 



Hardwood men feel that business Tvill come right along now tliat spring 

 is opening up. There is a splendid demand for furniture lumber and for 

 stock for manufacturing plants. This is evidenced by the inquiries coming 

 in and the demands for quick shipments. The latter are very hard to 

 make because of the car shortage and the embargoes as well as the high 

 water which has prevented prompt shipments from many places. Prices 

 are firm and show a tendency to advance. Yard trade is beginning to start 

 up. Stocks at the mills arc slow in general. 



=-< BOSTON >-= 



All calculations for the spring business in hardwood have been set aside 

 by conflitions that are without precedent in this district. The relatively 

 heavy mill stocks on hand after the long dull period ending in 1915 were 

 ordered out in a very short time. Restocking, speculation and new factory 

 orders calling for" raw material caused first-hand holders to rapidly clean 

 up stocks. Much of this has not arrived and all is subject to indefinite 

 delays in transit ; therefore the keystone to the lumber trade situation has 

 become transportation, but this difficulty is also involved with the state of 

 lumber stocks both at sources and at consuming centers, both of which 

 are known to be in a situation warranting increases of price. That such 

 increases have been and are taking place is a matter of common knowledge, 

 but still another element has been met with : a very largo building de- 

 signed to be finished in mahogany is to be changed to oak. the assumption 

 being that tonnage shortage is limiting the supply of foreign woods. That 

 all of these influences seem for the present to be tending away from a 

 self-correcting state is the view gathered from the opinions of the local 

 dealers and is evidenced in the current methods of the trade, most inquiries 

 being submitted to mills before closing negotiations and theu delivery time 

 cannot even be approximated. Under such prevailing conditions the nor- 

 mally active spring season opens and the activity of buyers in trying to 

 purchase stock and get it through is more noticeable than the volume of 

 business. 



F. M. Cutsinger 



Manufacturer of 



ALL KINDS OF BAND SAWN 



Hardwood Lumber 



My Specialty is High Grade 

 Quartered White and Red Oak 



Can furnish any hardwoods 



in either straight or mixed 



car lots. 



EVANSVILLE, INDIANA 



Have you seen an.v better "U'alnut logs than these? 



T^HEY all grew right in Indiana where 

 ■^ hardwoods have always held the 

 choicest farm lands. The best growth of 

 timber as well as the best yield of wheat 

 comes from good soil. The soundness of 

 the log-ends shows that they fed on the 

 fat of the land. My 



Indiana Oak 



comes from the same soil 



CHAS. H. BARNABY 



Greencastle, Indiana 



All Three of Us Will Be Benefited if You Mention HAIUJWOOD RECORD 



