HARDWOOD RECORD 



3i 



Toplar seems to he most active in demand, 

 and there is also a good call for quartered oak. 

 Birch has remained steady for some time, and 

 it is possible that it will take a decided jump 

 and be one of the features of the market. Ma- 

 hogany has so'd readily without any price change. 

 <t:iks, red and white, have me1 with a good in 

 quiry. 



Nashville. 

 Some improvement is noted in the local lum- 

 ber market ; in fact, conditions are much better 

 than two weeks ago. Some relief has been re- 

 ceived in the matter of the supply of cars, al- 

 though the railroads, in order to prevent addi 

 tional delays, have slopped routing cars over 

 certain lines, but "ii Ho' other band are getting 

 the shipments to given points the very best way 

 they can. Orders continue good and prices re- 

 main brisk. With present stocks short, with a 

 short crop of logs due from up the river tbis 

 season, the local yards will have to face the 

 spring season witli generally short stocks and 

 advances are confidently looked for in various 

 hardwoods. Poplar, chestnut, ash and oak will 

 likely advance. Hardwoods of all kinds are 

 strong now. The planing mills still have more 

 than they can handle and work is being rushe I 

 on local jobs in order to tiuisli them before the 

 real cold weather sets in. The scarcity of pop 

 lar has become quite alarming. In fact, there 

 is practically none of it lo be had anywhere. 

 Lumbermen are facing the condition that tbis 

 valuable wood is practically exhausted in what 

 has been one of the best poplar producing sec- 

 tions in the country. The dealers are being 

 forced to use gunl and cottonwood as substi- 

 tutes. Practically all the hardwoods, however. 

 . are bringing better I ban I be association list 

 prices. 



Memphis. 



The demand for hardwood lumber continues 

 excellent and is far in excess of the supply, ac- 

 cording to the statements of members of the 

 trade. Local stocks are very much broken be- 

 cause of the drain that has been going on for 

 some time. The outlook from a supply stand- 

 point is serious because of the prospective short- 

 age growing out of the scarcity of timber and 

 the limited production of lumber now being 

 placed on sticks to meet the demands of the 

 late winter and early spring trade. Then- is 

 hardly an item of the list that is not selling at 

 the highest prices of the year. In fact, it is 

 no longer a question of what shall be paid for 

 lumber, the buyers interesting themselves more 

 with trying to find where there is any large 

 quantity of southern hardwoods for sale. Buyers 

 are coming here In constantly increasing num- 

 bers and they all report it difficult to operate. 

 The export market is furnishing some orders, 

 but most of the business is in domestic circles. 



Ash is very strong, very high and very scarce. 

 All grades are wanted and there is no trouble 

 in disposing of anything that Is offered. There 

 is likewise an exceptionally strong demand for 

 cottonwood in all grades, though the box grades. 

 No. 1, No. 2 and No. Ii common, are in better 

 request and relatively stronger than any other 

 feature. Gum is a good seller in all grades, the 

 scarcity and high prices of other items forcing 

 this lumber as a substitute in numerous direc- 

 tions. Cypress is a good seller, though there is 

 some complaint that this wood is not showing 

 relatively as much strength as some other fea- 



POPLAR 



Rough and Dressed 



SOUTHERN HARDWOODS 



M. A. HAYWARD 



1021 Saving and Trust Bldg.. Columbus, O. 



tures of the list. The call for poplar is aoiiv. 

 but offerings are very limited. There Is an excel- 

 lent demand for plain oak, while there is a 

 u".,d call for quarter-sawed while oak in the 

 higher grades. In quarter sawed red oak there is 

 no large volume of business, but prices are re- 

 ported satisfactory. The general opinion of the 

 trade is that the market will work higher dur- 

 ing ilc n-'Xt thirty to sixty days. 



New Orleans. 



Recent heavy rains in the noil loin part of 

 the state have delayed operations in the hard- 

 wood territory and there is a noticeable scar- 

 City of hardwoods on the local markets. The 

 foreign buyers are still operating here, but 

 are meeting with very little success in securing 

 stuff for shipments. Exports are only normal. 

 rie- interior demand continues good and the 

 same may be said of the prevailing prices. 



Louisville. 

 There appears to be a peculiar situation and 

 some strange switching around between hard- 

 wood and yellow pine in this market. Framing 

 and bill stuff and gum, beech and some other 

 hardwoods have been taking the place of pine 

 somewhat, while pine, on the other hand, seems 

 to be replacing some low-grade poplar for crating 

 purposes. I taring the past year No. 1 common 

 poplar has been taking the place of pine in fin- 

 ish and planing mill work. This substitution is, 

 of course, due to the extreme scarcity at time-* 

 in certain grades and lines of stock. In poplar 

 there has been such a demand for low-grade stock 

 1 hi I the prices have climbed up to the point 

 where some users have been led into experiment- 

 ing with low-grade pine hoards. Common poplar, 

 on the other hand, has been in better supply 

 than any other grade of this wood, and as a 

 consequence its market has widened accordingly. 

 The demand easily exceeds the supply now in 

 practically every line of hardwood, and it is not 

 a question with the manufacturer of selling his 

 product, but merely a question of how much he 

 ought to have for it. The weather continues 

 adverse to operations in the woods, and with 

 these conditions the millmen naturally are cau 

 lions about loading up with too many orders 

 It is a very active demand everywhere, with a 

 decidedly limited supply of stock as compared to 

 the volume of trade requirements. 



Toledo. 



Hardwoods are in strong demand and prices 

 are firm on all lines and grades with but a few 

 exceptions. In reviewing the present conditions 

 as compared with a year ago one well-known 

 dealer, who handles hardwoods exclusively, states 

 an advance of fully thirty per cent has taken 

 place iu the price of oak over the figures of a 

 year ago. Taking hardwoods as a whole, this 

 class of lumber is from five to I en per cent 

 higher than last spring. Dimension stuff Is also 

 stiffer in price. The local dealers are busy tak- 

 ing inventories of stocks on band that they may 

 be in position lo fully anticipate their wants 

 after New Year's, when they will stock up. 



Minneapolis. 

 While the heaviest of the fall trade Is out of 

 ilic way wilb the factory buyers, there is still 

 considerable trade, and in almost everything but 

 birch wholesalers lind it easy to make sales at 

 standard prices. In fact, it is easier to sell than 

 it is to deliver the goods, as both dealers and 

 consumers are finding out to their sor- 

 row. There are one or two good stocks 10 

 draw from ibis winter, and by this time 

 nexl year or sooner it. is predicted that 

 there will uot be enough northern white oak of 

 good quality to lill a fair-sized order. Oak is 

 selling freely where offered with a good guar- 

 antee of quality, and most of the stock moving 

 comes from the South. Owing to high water, 

 delivery from that section is slow and uncertain. 

 I'.asswqod is active in the market and the uppers 

 are reduced to a lower point In stocks than they 



have 1 D lor a good many years. As for the 



culls, they are practically sold out to the box 

 trade. 



Low grade lumber of all kinds continues to be 

 active. The high price of pine causes many to 

 turn to birch and olher hardwoods, where they 

 can get the same grade of stuff cheaper, .as a 

 rule, and just as good for their uses. Grain 

 doors have used a large amount of hardwood 

 stock. Birch is beiug sold fairly well, and is 

 by no means a drug on the market. There will 

 be stock enough lo run till next summer, bnl 

 there is not going to be any surplus sufficient to 

 depress prices. In fact, they are stiffer now than 

 for some time. Maple is moving well, also elm 

 and ash. at strong prices. The country yard 

 trade is light. 



Liverpool. 



Everything points to lower prices on mahogany 

 in the near future. The stock offered this week 

 contains several very finely figured logs, which 

 are sure to command high prices. 



Hardwoods are generally very quiet here and 

 in many classes next to nothing is being done. 

 It cannot now he expected that the revival of 

 trade which has been looked for so long will 

 come until the turn of the year. Brokers and 

 shippers bolb say that all hardwoods are scarce 

 and are going up in price. Prices seem to be the 

 chief difficulty with merchants who are at pres- 

 ent handling American goods. English people 

 are very conservative and believe in waiting for 

 either a reduction or a substitute of other goods. 



English timbers have without doubt largely 

 taken the place of American, but now everything 

 points to an increase in the price of these woods. 

 Several carloads of oak boards have changed 

 hands at extremely low prices. 



Quartered oak is firmer and now that the 

 large surplus stock has been reduced prices of 

 this material will increase. Ash planks are 

 stagnant and will remain so until the large 

 contracts which are still undelivered and overdue 

 are completed. Birch and maple logs are als., 

 quiet. Birch, however, is recovering nicely from 

 the awful slump of last summer. 



London. 



The market at the moment is dull and In- 

 active, the higher prices asked by shippers tend- 

 ing to restrict speculative buying, although it 

 must be frankly admitted that where buyers are 

 forced to fill their requirements they are paying 

 the advance, but are only buying on a small 

 scale. 



The steamship Argyle, from New Orleans, is 

 due shortly and carries over one hundred cars of 

 lumber of various kinds, but mostly on firm 

 orders, which tends to strengthen the prices of 

 slocks already landed and stored In docks here. 



Whitewood — There is a very fair demand for 

 cull grade of %-Incb boards, but arrivals are of 

 very poor quality. No 1 commons are in request 

 at good prices, but firsts and seconds are slow 

 of sale, as are planks. 



Plain oak — All grades are scarce and consign 

 ments, of which there is a fair quantity consid 

 cring the high prices asked by shippers, are sell 

 ing well : quartered strips are slow in arriving 

 and fair prices are being paid for firm orders ; 

 the demand for one-Inch boards, although dull, 

 is showing a slight improvement. 



Walnut This wood is scarce and buyers are 

 inclined to pay better prices for good medium 

 boards, also for cull boards; only prime logs are 

 wanted, and good prices :11c being realized for 

 veneer logs. 



Satin walnut — The demand is mostly for No. 

 1 common in boards 1 inch and % inch thick, 

 and buyers are also taking up with sap grades in 

 thes.c two thicknesses as the prices compare 

 favorably wilb the cheaper grades of whitewood 



Asli planks are selling well at good prices; 

 logs are in demand. 



Hickory — Some good orders have been placed 

 recently at a slight advance on last year's prices. 



