50 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



stated, is regarded as temporary, is attributable, 

 doubtless, to the decrease in shipping generally 

 during the months of January and February, 

 the most inactive of the year. 



A heavy demand exists for all kinds of stock, 

 especially oak, poplar and chestnut. 



Cincinnati. 



While some loss was sustained by various 

 lumber concerns here by the recent flood, it will 

 in the near future benefit them, as much lumber 

 will be required for repairs on buildings that 

 were damaged by the water. 



The demand for hardwoods continues excel- 

 lent, the main trouble being the difficulty to get 

 enough lumber to supply the inquiry. Poplar 

 heads the list, and despite the advance made 

 some weeks ago large sales are being made. 

 Oak is the next most desired in this market, and 

 large dealers say that prices are being held at 

 a firm range. A number of transactions are 

 being made in cypress, chestnut, mahogany and 

 sycamore at firm prices. Cottonwood, basswood 

 and gum are going a lively pace. Taking every- 

 thing into consideration, the hardwood market 

 is at its best, and with the advent of spring 

 a record breaking trade will undoubtedly result. 

 Little lumber is being put into stock ; most of 

 it has a ready sale as soon as it leaves the 

 mills. 



Chattanooga. 



There has been no material change in lumber 

 conditions in the Chattanooga market during 

 Hi' 1 past thirty days other than increased de- 

 mand, and higher prices are being offered. The 

 trouble in this market just now is shortage of 

 stock, and very few of the* mills or lumber yards 

 have any considerable surplus in shipping con- 

 dition. There seems to be no holding up in 

 local building operations, consequently all kinds 

 of lumber required for building purposes are 

 finding ready sale and at high prices. 



Poplar has been scarce here for the past 

 twelve months and stocks have been nothing like 

 what they were during former years. Each 

 year shows not only smaller amount of poplar 

 cut, but a greater percentage of the lower grades. 

 The Loomis & Hart Manufacturing Company, 

 the H. L. Judd Company and the Central Manu- 

 facturing Company are the only river mills now 

 in operation here, and each of these mills has 

 only a limited supply of logs. 



The continued wet weather during the last 

 six months of 1906 very much hindered logging 

 operations on the Tennessee river and tributaries 

 above Chattanooga. Logs now have to be hauled 

 as a rule a long distance, over bad roads, as a 

 result of rain, which makes it very expensive 

 and inconvenient to haul heavy loads from the 

 timber to the river. 



Again, the great scarcity of standing limber 

 is becoming more apparent each year, conse- 

 quently there are not nearly so many people 

 engaged in the logging business as formerly. 

 The year 1907 will show the shortest supply of 

 logs by river of any year since 1S80. 



Chestnut is in good demand. The coffin man- 

 ufacturers are finding trouble in buying chestnut 

 at satisfactory prices to meet their wants. There 

 is considerable oak handled in Chattanooga, but 

 the bulk of it is used right here. The furniture 

 manufacturers and other woodworking enter- 

 prises take a very large percentage of what is 

 offered, and at prices as a rule satisfactory. Of 

 low grades of poplar, basswood and gum the box 

 manufacturers take everything that is offered. 



Wagon manufacturers are all the time on 

 the lookout for poplar box boards. The great 

 scarcity of this grade of poplar has made it 

 necessary to substitute tupelo gum, cypress, etc., 

 but nothing has yet been found to as fully 

 meet this demand as does poplar. Wide poplar 

 stock is almost entirely out of the market. 

 Boards 30 inches and up in width are now 

 bringing fancy prices. There is a good deal 

 of elm, gum and water birch, which are being 



used for a good many commercial purposes, and 

 stocks are rapidly being exhausted. The furni- 

 ture manufacturers and car builders are among 

 the greatest users of oak. Ash is still very 

 popular in many lines of work and the supply 

 is very limited. 



Nashville. 



Nashville lumbermen have been taking advan- 

 tage of the recent cold spell to wind up their 

 stock taking and closing out of accounts tor the 

 year that has just passed. " A glance backwards 

 shows the year just passed was a most pros- 

 perous one. The shortage in stocks and car 

 shortage was in a measure compensated for by 

 good prices. Little relief is expected in the near 

 future in the car situation, as the fertilizer 

 movement is on now and that is being given 

 the right of way. 



The river is low just now and the movement 

 in new stock is rather slow. During the recent 

 high water, however, considerable timber was 

 brought down the Cumberland. A good spring 

 trade is anticipated by all dealers. Prices re- 

 main firm and there is a steady call for all 

 lines of hardwoods. Nothing seems inclined to 

 drag and that of itself is taken as an excellent 

 indication. 



is the best they can get for six months and 

 that prices are not going to get any better. 



Toledo. 



Memphis. 



The demand for hardwood lumber continues 

 ■ v' llent while the volume of business is some- 

 what restricted by the limited quantity of dry 

 stock available. The holdings are now the light- 

 est they have been for years at this season, and 

 production is likewise small. There is scarcely 

 an item on the list which is not selling at the 

 best figure in its history. There is some busi- 

 ness in export channels, but the bulk of the 

 lumber from this city and section is going into 

 domestic consumption. 



The call for cottonwood is particularly active. 

 The call for the lower grades is very persistent, 

 with offerings limited. The higher grades are 

 firm but show less strength than the lower. Ash 

 is strong in all grades, and sales would be much 

 larger if there were more of it available. Plain 

 oak is a ready seller in all grades and thick- 

 nesses and quarter-sawn oak is moving about as 

 rapidly as the offerings will allow. Gum is in 

 excellent position. Cypress is holding its own. 

 the quantity offered being comparatively small. 

 Poplar sells readily and prices are reported sat- 

 isfactory. 



Minneapolis. 



The Northwest is snowed under and has had 

 some extremely cold weather, a condition which 

 usually produces stagnation in the lumber trade. 

 Nevertheless business is active, stocking up for 

 spring trade being fairly under way. The trade 

 is evidently aware of the scarcity of dry stock 

 which exists in all hardwoods except birch, and 

 even that wood is not anything like as plentiful 

 as it was. Low grade birch has practically all 

 been picked up for grain doors, crating, etc. 

 Basswood is splendid property just now, and 

 there is not enough in the market to supply the 

 prospective demand. Culls are almost exhausted 

 and prices are high. 



Everything in dry stock is higher, even birch, 

 which has advanced on part of the list. Oak is 

 about cleaned up, and the southern mills are 

 out of business because of high water and car 

 shortage, so that the northern stocks remaining 

 unused have to supply the trade. There is a 

 good demand for maple flooring, and elm and 

 ash are both active, but vanishing fast. There 

 is a big buying movement in progress on the 

 new cut and a number of mills have already 

 sold every foot they will produce this year at 

 good prices. The logging conditions are bad 

 now because of recent storms and the output 

 will be somewhat curtailed. Wholesalers are 

 busy rounding up stocks and already are selling 

 lumber for summer delivery. Fear of a short- 

 age is prompting a good many buyers. All 

 know that the present assortment of dry lumber 



The local demand for hardwoods is not strong, 

 as cold weather has stilled building operations 

 to a marked degree. On the other hand, the city 

 filed sixty-two building permits, with a total 

 valuation of $167,365, during January, as com- 

 pared with sixty-four permits, with a total valu- 

 ation of $141,890, for January, 1906. This looks 

 good for the first month of the year and, while 

 building operations will not really begin for 6ix 

 or eight weeks yet, the indications point to big 

 business when the spring season opens up. 



The car shortage proposition is not quite as 

 serious as it was, and this is permitting local 

 dealers to get in their stocks in readiness for 

 the spring rush. Local yards snow stocks quite 

 low on almost all lines of hardwoods, hut by 

 the first of the month these stocks will have 

 been greatly added to. In view of business 

 being somewhat light, the present stocks of 

 hardwoods anions the local yards seem to be 

 sufficient to meet all the demands of the trade. 



As to prices, oak quotations are the stiffest. 

 No local dealer is looking for a decline in any 

 line. Instead there is a tendency to stiffen the 

 prices all along the lines. It is rumored that 

 the carpenters of the city will demand more pay, 

 which indicates that local interests may have 

 to deal with the strike Question. 



Liverpool. 

 The mild weather that has been experienced 

 here during the past few weeks has been a big 

 drawback to trade. It is a good thing for all 

 the merchants here that the imports have been 

 only light or we would never have succeeded 

 in getting the quays cleared. Good prices are 

 without doubt being obtained for different kinds 

 of hardwoods. Oak planks are very valuable 

 just now, especially if the specifications can 

 show a good proportion of 15-foot and up. There 

 is quite a little famine of poplar boards and 

 prices have considerably advanced. Ash planks 

 are in demand and we have heard of several 

 good sales. A large contract has been placed 

 with one of our leading engineers which will 

 require a large quantity of 3-inch planks. If 

 shippers have any to offer let them write or 

 cable for an order, but do not let them ship on 

 consignment. The old contracts we mentioned 

 some weeks ago are still unexecuted ; the latest 

 excuse for non-delivery we heard was that they 

 were waiting for cars to load the planks. Cot- 

 tonwood is firmer, following the lead of white- 

 wood, but is not in much demand at this mar- 

 ket. Hickory is better again and we think will 

 be very scarce before the end of March. Buyers 

 have been frightened off by the shipments on 

 consignment, which have been sold at low 

 prices. Southern hickory, or in fact any wood 

 with a large proportion of white, would bring 

 good prices. We are afraid, however, that buy- 

 ers on contract would be difficult to find, and 

 we think shippers would be well advised to 

 ship to a firm of reliable brokers, if such a 

 thing can be found, and give them instructions 

 not to sell under a certain limit. The mahogany 

 sales, as we anticipated, failed to realize the 

 higher prices we heard of. There is far too 

 much stock on this side and we will not see 

 higher for some few months to come. The best 

 advice we can offer to buyers in the United 

 States of America is to buy from hand to mouth. 



RORLAR 



Rough and Dressed 



SOUTHERN HARDWOODS 



M. A. HAYWARD 



1021 Saving and Trust Bldg., Columbus, O 



