HARDWOOD RECORD 



3i 



HardWood Market. 



(By HARDWOOD EECOED Exclusive Market Reporters.) 



Chicago. 

 The local trade In hardwoods remains excel 

 lent. The call for high-grade plain oak and the 

 good end of poplar is somewhat in excess of the 

 supply, and the prices tor straight grades are 

 ranging high. Northern hardwoods and miscel- 

 laneous southern minor woods are in fair call 

 at satisfactory prices. The prospects are excel- 

 ^ lent for an exceedingly satisfactory fall and 

 early winter trade In all varieties of woods. 

 Local building operations are still increasing. 

 The building of many high-class commercial 

 structures and apartment bouses is making a 



heavy call for hardw 1 flooring and interior 



hardwood finish. 



Boston. 



The hardwood market has developed con- 

 siderable activity during the past two weeks 

 and prices are firmer In many instances. Ad- 

 vices from producing centers do not show any 

 surplus in manufacturers' hands of good dry 

 stock even though the demand here has been 

 quiet until recently. Leading dealers in this 

 market state that the increase in the demand 

 is confined chiefly to trade outside of Boston 

 and vicinity. Manufacturers of furniture are 

 doing a good business and are in the market 

 for supplies, as are also manufacturers of 

 finish. Dealers still report considerable delay 

 in shipments from mill points due to the car 

 shortage. 



The demand for plain oak has not been as 

 active during the past few weeks as it was 

 early in the summer, but prices are steady. 

 Quartered oak moves In a moderate way. 

 Common quartered oak is in large supply with 

 prices unsettled, but ones and twos are not 

 in large offering, despite the small volume of 

 business now passing. Brown and white ash 

 are very firm and offerings are not large. 

 Brown ash has advanced slowly but steadily 

 of late. Since the prices of brown ash have 

 ruled so close to those of plain oak, many con- 

 sumers have preferred the latter, with the re- 

 sult that the demand for ash has grown less. 

 White ash is in smaller supply than brown. 

 The call for chestnut is moderate. Hickory- 

 is very scarce and in demand. Maple is 

 rather quiet, and buyers show no anxiety to 

 take on supplies much beyond their imme- 

 diate wants. Birch is in very good call. Cy- 

 press continues firmly held, with offerings of 

 desirable stocks small. Whitewood is higher 

 at the mills. The yards here have a fail- 

 supply on hand. 



New York. 



The situation in the local hardwood trade is 

 generally satisfactory. Prices on the better 

 grades of all hardwoods are not only exceed- 

 ingly firm, but on many items show a decided 

 tendency upward. This of course is due to the 

 fact that the available supplies of the better- 

 grades of hardwoods at mill points are small 

 and, in many instances, badly broken. In the 

 local wholesale market all the wholesale hand- 

 lers who have any amount of good hardwood 

 lumber on hand are conversant with the condi- 

 tions at mill points and consequently are only 

 selling at top prices. Sales are of good volume 

 and the market generally is in good shape. 

 As regards low grade stock, there has been a 

 first rate market for some months, although the 

 local district has suffered some in this direction 

 by reason of some of the smaller operators in 

 the country making concessions, but as a 

 whole the general run of business is on a very 

 fair range of values. 



The better grades of plain oak are in good 

 demand, but very scarce, and have advanced $1 

 to $2. Common and shipping cull have eased 

 off from $1 to $2. Ash is active but scarce, 

 and inch ones and twos are ruling firm at sat- 

 isfactory prices. Ones and twos red birch are 

 in excellent call, but supplies are scarce and 

 prices are constantly showing an upward ten- 

 dency. Saps are somewhat more plentiful and 

 while holding firm in price have not enjoyed 

 the upward tendency that the better grades 



have. Poplar is more than holding its own, 

 both in good lumber and low grades. Trices 



are holding stiff and lumber of extra c, I width 



or quality is bringing considerably more than 

 list. 



There seems to be an ample supply of maple 

 in all grades and thicknesses, and while the 

 demand is fair prices can stand some changes 

 for the heller, i Qua itered oak has shown con- 

 slderable improvement of late and prices are 

 advi in":, although the demand for this com- 

 modity is not what it should lie. J'.oeeli is in 

 ver\ active call, especially in thick stock for 

 temporary structural work and planking. Hum 

 is also holding its own and the general market 

 is taking more of this stock constantly. Cotton- 

 wood is in large demand and prices are show- 

 ing an upward trend. 



Philadelphia. 



As reports come in from the mill districts, 

 where the recent destructive storms have im- 

 peded the getting out of orders and from those 

 seci ions where the car service has been defec- 

 tive, it is possible to obtain a fair view of 

 conditions. As the demand for good hardwoods 

 continues and stiff prices are the rule, the 

 accumulation of stock at the mills appears to 

 he difficult. Poplar, chestnut and ash are still 

 scarce. Birch and red cherry are firm and 

 quartered oak steady. Yards as a rule are stock- 

 ing up. though some are still under the impres- 

 sion that prices will be lower as more rapid 

 shipments arrive from the mills; but the most 

 of them believe that the prices are more apt to 

 rise than fall. The furniture factories of east- 

 ern Pennsylvania continue to buy freely, and re- 

 ports from salesmen indicate a good season. 

 Building operations are being rushed, and 

 though there has been a drop of 7 per cent in 

 the estimated total cost of work for September 

 compared with September of 1905, it has had no 

 immediate effect on the building trade. Some of 

 the better class houses are about ready to 

 receive their hardwood finishings and demand is 

 greater than the supply. 



In sections of the Pennsylvania timber dis- 

 trict there has been a slight improvement in 

 car service since October 1, but the congestion 

 of freight farther west is still causing consid- 

 erable delay in shipments, consequently old or- 

 ders are behind and new ones piling up. The 

 merchants who have been fortunate enough to 

 charter barges are able to keep their stock in 

 shape, while those depending on obtaining con- 

 veyances at will are realizing the effect of the 

 loss in schooners and barges during the late 

 storms. Taking all conditions into considera- 

 tion, it is the consensus of opinion that the out- 

 look for fall and winter business is all that 

 could he hoped for. 



Baltimore. 



No important changes have taken place in the 

 hardwood trade conditions lore. Stocks continue 

 to be in active demand and the distribution is 

 relatively large. Trade is much inconvenienced 

 by I lie car shortage and other causes over which 

 He manufacturers have no control. The weath- 

 er in the hardwood producing regions has be- 

 come settled and there is less interruption to 

 op. 1 .,1 ions. The numerous stoppages for this 

 reason served to reduce materially the output of 

 the plants and the offerings to the trade were 

 curtailed as a consequence. Values are well sus- 

 tained and all woods rule lirni. The heavy 

 demand on the part of the railroads and car 

 building shops keeps up, and it is therefore a 

 safe prediction that trade conditions will not 

 undergo any material change and that the pres- 

 ent level of quotations will he maintained. 



(lak is not less in demand than at any time 

 within the past year, and all the mills have 

 orders enough to keep them running for an in- 



definite period. The furniture manufacturers 



and other sumers are buying freely, and 



there is still much competition at the mills. 

 M"ks locally are about large enough to meet 

 trade requirements, but no marked surplusage 

 is being reported, and a firm tone is certain to 

 prevail. The foreign movement is also quite 

 brisk, though the general tone is one ,,1 ,, 



Ash and other « Is are in good demand a1 



figures that stimulate production. The domestic 

 inquiry for walnut continues unabated 



Pittsburg. 



Hardwood affairs are verj sati factory in 

 Greater Pittsburg. The majority of firmi 

 kept busy filling their orders and getting tim- 

 ber lined up lor next spring's supply. A i/ei 

 encouraging feature of the situation is the 

 large proportion oi the orders that comi bj 

 letter practically unsolicited except so far as 

 the wholesalers have submitted prices in reply 

 to inquiry. The chief difficulty is in getting 

 dry stock to fill orders. Although the hard- 

 wood mills have been busy for months stocks 

 have not accumulated to any great extent and 

 very few firms have any surplus of dry lum- 

 ber. The planing mills and lumber yards 

 throughout the Pittsburg district are buying 

 more freely than a month ago. Finishing lum- 

 ber seems to be in especially good demand 

 this month, although bill stuff of all kinds is' 

 selling well. There has never been a fall when 

 the trade with manufacturers opened more 

 auspiciously than this year. In the number 

 of factories and plants buying stock and in 

 the size of their orders there are indications 

 of an enormous hardwood business to last all 

 winter. 



The price situation remains unchanged. 

 List quotations are adhered to with firmness. 

 Oak leads. Chestnut is a strong factor in 

 sales at present. The finer grades of all 

 hardwoods are in good demand. Heavy tim- 

 bers are not so active as a month ago owing 

 to the fact that outside contract work will 

 soon be suspended in many places by railroads 

 and similar corporations which have been 

 large buyers of big sticks. 



Buffalo. 

 Fall trade among the city hardwood dealers 

 is excellent and the prospects are bright for a 

 prosperous ending of the year. The healthy 

 state of the market is not so much a matter of 

 movement as it is of price. There is no great 

 boom in business, and if there was it is doubt- 

 ful if the orders could be taken care of very 

 well. A good amount of lumber is being sold, 

 with prices holding in fine shape and stocks 

 being kept up. Poplar is still scarce and not 

 likely to be more plentiful in the near future. 

 Basswood is being used to take its place in some 

 lines. Chestnut and ash are scarce, and birch 

 and maple are being substituted for them. Oak 

 is holding very well and if the obstructions to 

 southern logging in the shape of rain and car 

 shortage do not shut the supply down too much 

 there will be enough of it for some time. Prices 

 in the wood arc stationary. 



Saginaw Valley. 

 There is a better inquiry reported all around, 

 hut shippers arc experiencing difficulty in filling 

 orders owing to the lack of transportation fa- 

 cilities. Beech and birch in particular have 

 been in better form of late and maple Is moving 

 despite the sluggishness of that commodity dur- 

 ing the greater portion of the season. The 

 market appears also to he a little firmer, though 

 no particular changes in quotations are noted. 

 There appears to be enough stock in the hands 

 of manufacturers to lake care of the wants of 

 the trade, and yet there is no surplus. The 

 usual output is scheduled for the winter. 



Bristol, Va.-Tenn. 



The larger mills report their yards pretty 

 generally depleted and shipments within the 



