42 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



For brown ash a very firm market is reported, 

 with the demand fair. White ash also con- 

 tinues strong and in small offering. There is 

 no anxiety on the part of buyers to antici- 

 pate their wants for maple flooring, although 

 a fair demand is reported. Chestnut is in 

 very good call, but very little native stock is 

 offered. Hickory is in good demand. White- 

 wood continues firmly held at the last ad- 

 vance, with offerings of good dry stock from 

 the mills small. The demand here is only 

 moderate. Cypress continues firmly held, 

 although the demand is not large at present. 

 A leading dealer states that one reason for the 

 demand for cypress being quiet at the present 

 time is that when prices were a little easier, 

 a month or two ago, the large buyers stocked 

 up. 



New York. 



The general hardwood situation throughout 

 the metropolitan district and vicinity con- 

 tinues to show strength. Prices are ruling 

 very steady with an upward tendency on the 

 better grades, while the lower grades are 

 holding their own nicely. Ash. birch, chest- 

 nut, oak and poplar are all selling well and 

 the supplies of well manufactured stock in 

 the better grades are by no means plentiful. 

 There are quite large offerings of low-grade 

 hardwoods, owing to the constantly increas- 

 ing production of such, but there is no par- 

 ticular weakness noted in that line, and the 

 general situation in hardwood is very satis- 

 factory for this season of the year. 



The furniture and piano manufacturing 

 trades are very brisk. In all directions in the 

 hardwood consuming trade general reports 

 are very satisfactory and the outlook for a 

 continuance of active business for some time 

 to come is excellent. 



In cypress the demand is equal to the sup- 

 ply, while shipping conditions in the south 

 tend to curtail shipments. Prices are firm on 

 the better grades, but common lumber has 

 advanced considerably at southern manufac- 

 turing points. Maple, which has been slow 

 for some time, has improved sufficiently to 

 preclude any further accumulation of supplies 

 and the market for it is expected to show 

 an upward tendency from now on. 



One of the salient features in the New York 

 hardwood trade at the present time, and one 

 which is of special interest, is the great 

 strengthening in the mahogany and cedar 

 market, particularly in cedar. For many 

 months the demand for both commodities has 

 been marked and receipts from various ports 

 inadequate to take care of current require- 

 ments, while the recent trouble on the Island 

 of Cuba has simply - tended to aggravate the 

 shortage, with the result that prices at the 

 present time, especially in cedar, have reached 

 the highest level known in years and every 

 arrival of either stock is quickly absorbed by 

 buyers. The prevailing prices on mahogany 

 run -all the way from 8 to 12 cents a foot in 

 the wholesale market, the latter prices ruling, 

 of course, on Laguna and Santiago mahogany, 

 which are most desirable, but the general 

 mahogany market is firm at from 9 to 10 

 ■ ents, the latter price reflecting more nearly 

 the actual market. In cedar, prices are ruling 

 from 10 to 15 cents, the latter price being 

 asked for Laguna stock. Cuban cedar is firm 

 at from 11 to 14 cents On the various grades, 

 and the cedar from other ports from 10 to 14 

 cents. 



All the arrivals during the past month have 

 been quickly absorbed and the market is 

 almost bare of stock in first hands. Cuban 

 receipts fell off fifty per cent on account of 

 the trouble on the islaml 



tion was quick. Building operations have en- 

 joyed the biggest month in this line for years. 

 Good hardwoods are still scarce, and stock is 

 sin itt in the mill districts. Chestnut and oak 

 are easily the leaders, but ash, red cherry and 

 birch are strong. Poplar, though reported a 

 little off. is steady and salable. 



The railroads are placing orders for a con- 

 tinuous supply of the class of hardwoods 

 used by them, receiving all that can be manu- 

 factured by certain mills. Ties are in demand 

 for both railroad and trolley road building. 

 those made of oak predominating. The build- 

 ers' supply manufacturers, not only are work- 

 ing full force on orders, but are anticipating 

 a steady winter trade, of course providing the 

 winter be an open one. Furniture factories, 

 both local and through the eastern Pennsyl- 

 vania district, aie active, buying freely; and 

 reports from this industry show a healthy 

 condition of things. 



Glancing over the field, the business outlook 

 is satisfactory, with the exception of the car 

 service in th south, which universal opinion 

 condemns as the worst experienced for years. 

 Notwithstanding the impediments thrown in 

 the rnanufacturers' way by the obstinate 

 storms, no effort appears to be made by the 

 railroads to meet the difficulty. 



Philadelphia. 

 The last fortnight has been a brisk one in 

 the local hardwood market. There was a 

 slight falling off in some woods, but the reac- 



Baltimore. 



The lumber trade of this section is keeping 

 up remarkably well, and the outlook is even 

 more reassuring than it has been. Stocks are 

 being sought in large quantities, and the mills 

 find themselves with enough orders on hand 

 to keep running for an indefinite period. The 

 range of values is firm and ability to furnish 

 lumber in desired quantities without delay is 

 a consideration which receives attention from 

 consumers. Railroad building continues, while 

 all the car building concerns have big orders 

 on hand, so that the needs of the trade are 

 bound to be heavy for some time to come. 

 Much competition still prevails at points of 

 production and the car shortage causes delay 

 in making deliveries, aside from the obstacles 

 presented until recently in the shape of bad 

 roads, a result of the frequent heavy rains. 



An active inquiry for oak prevails.- with 

 stocks none too large for the needs of the 

 trade. Exporters still report that relative 

 quiet prevails in the foreign business, but 

 they also state that the tone of the market 

 on the other side of the Atlantic is healthy, 

 and that foreign buyers are gradually com- 

 ing to a realization of the fact that they must 

 be prepared to pay more for lumber iir the 

 future. 



Ash is a good second to oak, being in strong 

 request and finding ready takers at home as 

 well as abroad. Chestnut, walnut and other 

 hardwoods are moving in relatively large 

 quantities and the price lists are firmly main- 

 tained. 



Pittsburg. 



Hardwoods lead the market. All indica- 

 tions now go to show that the hardwood deal- 

 ers will hold the winning cards from now till 

 spring. For some of them the fall market 

 lias been the best in the history of the lum- 

 ber business in Pittsburg. This is true of 

 oak, which has sold steadily at stiff prices 

 and in large quantities; also of the south- 

 western hardwoods, gum, cottonwood, etc., 

 which are coming into use rapidly in response 

 to the efforts of Pittsburg wholesalers to sub- 

 stitute them for other more familiar woods 

 which cost nearly double the money. 



Oak still leads in demand. There is a good 

 call for "trim" from the eastern firms, and 

 manufacturers of furniture are large takers. 

 Chestnut is in active call, but not such a 

 favorite as oak. Maple flooring is selling 

 well, some good orders having been placed 

 recently for stock to be used in the skyscrap- 

 ers and big buildings that are now being 



erected. In the construction work on the 

 Ohio, Monongahela and Allegheny rivers much 

 beech is being used, which is bringing good 

 prices, most of it coming from northern Penn- 

 sylvania and northeastern Ohio. Hickory is 

 very scarce. Hardly a. car is to be found any- 

 where, and the small lots at the country mills 

 are snatched up eagerly by buyers who have 

 contracts with spoke and handle factories to 

 fill. For a like reason ash is in good demand 

 and is bringing better prices than last year 



Buffalo. 



A trip among the east side hardwood dealers 

 of the city finds them all as cheerful as ever. 

 because tiny find the demand for nearly every- 

 thing good and they have the lumber to meet 

 it. There is no complaint of small profits, as 

 in case of the white pine dealers. Of course, 

 they are bothered a good deal from lack of 

 cars and especially if they depend on anything 

 like quick shipments from the south, but that 

 is a complaint that runs all through business. 



A detailed inquiry through the entire list 

 of hardwood lumber finds it in quite as good 

 shape as could be expected. Here and there 

 it is said that birch is a trifle plenty and 

 basswood is not as active as has been ex- 

 pected, but there can hardly be too much of 

 any wood, like birch, that will take the plare 

 of oak. 



Oak is selling well, quartered as well as 

 plain, which always means a good trade gen- 

 erally. Besides there are a number of dealers 

 reporting that they have good lots of ash and 

 chestnut coming in, so that they will have 

 quite an assortment of them, at least for a 

 while yet. 



The poplar trade is as good as the small 

 supply will permit. Elm is not selling rapidly. 

 Some very good sales of cherry are reported. 



Saginaw Valley. 

 The market is generally strong and there is 

 inquiry, for all grades of stock, and when cars 

 can be obtained lumber is being moved. An 

 advance of $1 a thousand over the quotations 

 ruling sixty days ago is noted on some woods. 

 Bass and beech are in active request at ad- 

 vanced prices and maple is looking better. 

 Elm and birch are firm. If there was any ash 

 of consequence to be had it would bring good 

 prices. Local dealers have experienced little 

 difficulty in getting stock to take care of their 

 trade, and if given transportation facilities 

 business would be very satisfactory. The 

 usual stock of logs will be cut this winter 

 and a number of saw mills will run through 

 the winiet 



Grand Eapids. 



Birch continues the weakest item on the list 

 of northern hardwoods. Architects in the east 

 continue to specify ash for interior trim in 

 houses, but many of the orders for this wood 

 placed in Michigan have to be turned down. 

 Basswood is improving. The veneer trade is 

 rather quiet. 



Bristol, Va.-Tenn. 



Trade conditions in this section continue 

 favorable and the lumbermen are so busy they 

 have not time to complain. The demand for 

 ill grades of stock is good. Oak is maintain- 

 ing its vast prestige in the market and the 

 demand for poplar is unusually heavy and 

 prices gradually advancing. The yards are 

 pretty generally depleted, and it seems there is 

 a tendency on the part of shippers to get out 

 as much stuff as possible before the cold 

 weather. 



The machinists' strike on the Southern rail- 

 way, which has just been settled, has handi- 

 capped shippers generally, and the ill effects 

 will no doubt be far-reaching to all lines of 

 trade. The situation reached an acute stage 

 on the Knoxville division of the Southern dur- 

 ing the closing days of the strike, when two 



