HARDWOOD RECORD 



33 



to it, buyers apparently fearing another rise. 

 Furniture manufacturers are still taking ma- 

 hogany in large quantities at firm prices. A 

 large volume of business is still transacted in 

 quartered oak and maple. Prices are unchanged. 

 No change has been noted in the car shortage, 

 conditions generally remain the same. Rainy 

 weather has prevailed over this territory for 

 some time, but business was not seriously inter- 

 rupted. 



Nashville. 

 Little change is noted in the market situation 

 in Nashville since the first of the year. There is 

 a good market and firm prices for all the good 

 timber that can be secured. A general advance 

 in all lines is anticipated in the near future ; 

 in fact, some hardwoods have already taken a 

 jump, notably poplar and chestnut. Quartered 

 red oak is moving better than usual. Ash has 

 increased in price, for the manufacturers of 

 spokes, handles and vehicle stock are buying up 

 all the clear stock they can find. All grades 

 of poplar are in demand, the better grades for 

 interior work, vehicles, etc., and the culls for 

 box manufacture, etc. 



Memphis. 

 The demand for hardwood lumber continues ex- 

 cellent, and the main trouble with the situation 

 is the difficulty to get hold of enough lumber to 

 take care of all the business offering. There has 

 never been a time when there was so little south- 

 ern hardwood lumber for sale, and the indica- 

 tions are that there will be an even more pro- 

 nounced scarcity in the near future because of 

 the interruptions to production. Lumber in this 

 city is in many cases selling at the record level, 

 and there are indications that still higher values 

 may prevail because the relations between supply 

 and demand are more strained than they have 

 ever been known to be in this section. There is 

 . a moderate quantity of hardwood lumber going 

 into export, but the bulk of the orders is coming 

 from domestic sources. Many of the larger mills 

 are closed down now owing to the shortage of 

 timber and the recent heavy rainfall, and there 

 is a very small percentage of the normal amount 

 of timber for this time of the year being placed 

 on sticks, a feature which will have an important 

 bearing on the prospective supply. 



Ash is one of the strongest features of the 

 list, the demand for this being excellent in all 

 grades and thicknesses. Cottonwood is a quick 

 seller in all grades, though the lower grades, 

 used in the manufacture of boxes and box shooks, 

 are even stronger than the higher. The demand 

 for these is, in fact, almost insatiable and very 

 high prices are current. Box boards have sold 

 recently at $50 per thousand f. o. b. cars here, 

 which breaks the record for this market. The 

 supply of all grades is exceptionally light. Gum 

 is a ready seller in all grades, with rather more 

 strength in the lower than in the higher grades. 

 Plain oak sells freely, while there is further im- 

 provement reported in the demand for quarter- 

 sawed stock, especially red, which has been slow 

 of sale for about two years. There is very little 

 of this to be had now and some of the trade pre- 

 dict quite a scarcity in the near future. Cypress 

 is passing into consumption as fast as it is dry 

 enough to be moved. There is a very satisfac- 

 tory demand for poplar, including common. 



Minneapolis. 



There is not a great deal of buying activity 

 on the part of factories just now, as most of 



RORLAR 



Rough and Dressed 



SOUTHERN HARDWOODS 



M. A. HAYWARD 



1021 Saving and Trust Bldg,, Columbus, O 



them have turned in orders that are still un- 

 filled, but there is a good deal of inquiry indi- 

 cating a healthy activity in furniture and im- 

 plement lines, and a good prospect for the 

 interior finish business. It also indicates that 

 buyers are aware of the short supply of most 

 stocks, and find it advisable to keep in close 

 touch with the market. Everything in the 

 hardwood line, without exception, is commanding 

 higher prices than in November. Oak dimension 

 is fully $5 a thousand stronger, and inch oak 

 commands $2 more. Basswood is up all along 

 the line, and elm is strong. All low grade stuff 

 is scarce and held at top prices. Birch is no 

 longer considered too plentiful, and dry stock Is 

 running low in everything but inch common. 



The yard trade is beginning to buy again, and 

 some good orders for flooring and wagon stock 

 have been placetl within the last few days. 

 Retail stocks in these lines have generally run 

 low, and replenishing is in order, as farmers 

 are beginning to make their repairs and get 

 ready for spring work. The flooring trade has 

 been good right along, as mild weather has 

 permitted a great deal of building to be carried 

 on to completion. 



Louisville. 



Just at this writing hardwood people are busy 

 keeping out of the way of the flood", and the 

 trade here doesn't care about anything but low 

 water. The talk about Kentucky's being a dry 

 state and having the lid on in various places is 

 all nonsense. There is not a dry place in it — 

 nothing but water, and nasty muddy water at 

 that. It comes down from overhead and creeps 

 till from under foot until it looks as though all 

 the water wagons that were started on New 

 Year's day have had their contents clumped into 

 this territory. As a result of all this, you could 

 not find the hardwood market with a steamboat. 

 I; will find itself and land safe some day when 

 the clouds roll by, but just exactly where no one 

 can tell. 



There is evidence of more lumber wanted than 

 can be supplied, and the question is how soon 

 manufacturers can get at it. Since the first 

 of the year some record prices have been touched 

 in car stock and in several other lines of hard- 

 wood ; mill men who have held off and refused 

 to book orders for future delivery are now pat- 

 ting themselves on the back, because the same 

 orders are worth more money today, and there 

 are still others to be had. At present, however, 

 mill men are waiting with what patience they 

 can command for the weather man to give them 

 a chance, and meantime many buyers are almost 

 distracted. 



Toledo. 



Trade is somewhat dull just now, but it is 

 nothing more than local lumbermen look for at 

 this time of the year. The number- of building 

 permits taken out since the first of the year is 

 small, the cold weather having had a decided 

 effect on building operations. Inquiry among the 

 local manufacturing establishments shows that, 

 while some plants are running a little lighter 

 than usual, most of them are busy in finishing 

 up the building jobs that have been commenced. 

 While the lumber trade is not expected to show 

 great improvement before spring, from every 

 source comes the expression that big trade is 

 looked for in the spring or just as soon as build- 

 ing operations open up for the season. 



Some advances in hardwoods have been noted 

 since the first of the year. Hard maple has 

 made the strongest advance, the Quotations be- 

 ing $2 higher. Plain red oak is also stiffening 

 in price, local manufacturing concerns report- 

 ing that they are compelled to pay $2 over the 

 price of three months ago. Within the same 

 time birch has made an equal advance. Chest- 

 nut is in strong demand, the construction of 

 telephone lines and electric railroads being very 

 active. The demand for ties is very strong also. 

 and local dealers are fearing marked advances 

 most any time. 



Liverpool. 



Trade has been almost stagnant during the 

 past ten days, all being engaged in celebrating 

 Christmas and the New Year. Large parcels of 

 hardwoods had to be removed from the quay, 

 and it was reported that many cheap lines went 

 "a-begging." 



Hickory logs are not in strong demand this 

 year, and several consignment parcels were 

 recently sacrificed. When will shippers learn 

 the wisdom of the "no consignment" policy? 

 In the case of hickory and many other woods 

 there is no reason why shippers should not 

 obtain much better prices, if they sent goods to 

 this market only on order. 



Over and over again is heard the same tale. 

 Last year when birch could be sold at any price 

 the shipper flooded the market. The result was 

 very soon seen in the ruinous prices which 

 eventually prevailed. 



The same thing is being done in second 

 growth ash logs, good prices being paid at this 

 port on contract, yet one shipper sends a parcel 

 on consignment which is sold at very low 

 figures. This is deplorable, as it. undoubtedly 

 makes buyers very nervous about touching large 

 lines. Prices ruling here are generally lower 

 than those in the states, buyers not being able 

 to bring themselves up to shippers' ideas. 



John II. Burreli & Co.'s wood circular shows 

 that there has been no import of birch logs 

 during the month of December, and only a 

 moderate supply of planks; the consumption of 



both has I n fair, and stocks are therefore 



slightly reduced. Arrivals of ash logs have been 



I rate and principally on contract; prime 



quality thick planks are inquired for. Arrivals 

 "t black walnut logs have also been moderate 

 and the call is excellent for prime wood as are 

 the prices obtained ; lumber supplies are more 

 than sufficient to meet the demand. Elm logs 



are quiet, while arrivals of hickory have I n 



coming in too freely, with result that the mar- 

 ket is weak. Oak timbers are in fair call, stocks 

 are light and prices firm ; quartered boards are 

 more inquired for than plain : cabinet plank 

 supplies are ample, but coflin planks of really 

 good specifications are readily salable at good 

 prices ; wagon planks arrived very freely — more 

 so than any previous month of the year, but the 

 call is unabated and good specifications bring 

 firm prices. Prime poplar logs and lumber are 

 having good call and the supply of the better 

 qualities is limited. Satin walnut lumber of 

 good specifications is doing well, while the im- 

 port of staves has not been heavy and the 

 demand is therefore fair. 



London. 



The market here is still affected by the holi- 

 days and most of the buyers are busy taking 

 stock, hut there is little stock offering and what 

 little there is is selling at prices that tend to 

 show that buyers are really beginning to realize 

 that lumber is dearer. .Most of the stock offer- 

 ing still comes on consignment, giving buyers 

 the impression that these parcels are shipped so 

 as to enable American shippers to keep the 

 prices up. as buyers here are not always in a 

 position to discriminate between the regular 

 shippers and the consignment shippers. 



All grades of whitewood are scarce and are 

 in good demand, anil what few agents are in a 

 position to make sales an- getting prices which 

 pay shippers very well. 



Oak boards and planks have a good call at top 

 prices 



,Ash planks are in good demand, but only for 

 best quality. There is no use here for second 

 quality in this wood. 



The demand for hickory logs is fair, and 

 prices are firm. For satin walnut there is little 

 demand for prime, most inquiry being for 

 medium quality and a fair call for saps. 



E. L. Garrett, lately connected with the firm 

 of Gellibrand, Heywood & Co., is on his first 

 visit to tie' siates. 



