flaMwolRecoM 



Published In the Interest of Hardwood Lumber, American Hardwood Forests, Wood Veneer Industry, Hardwood Flooring, 

 Hardwood Interior Finish, Wood Chemicals, Saw Mill and Woodworking Machinery. 



Vol. XXIII. 



CHICAGO, MARCH 10. 1907. 



No. 10. 



Published on the 10th and 25th of each month by 



THE HARDWOOD COMPANY 



Henry H. Gibson, President Frank W. Tuttle. Sec-Treas. 



OFFICES 

 Sixin Floor Ellsworth Bide;., 355 Dearborn St Chicago, 111., U.S.A. 



Telephones: Harrison 4960 Automatic 5659 



TERMS OF ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION 



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 Subscriptions are payable in advance, and in default oE written orders to the 

 contrary are continued at our option. 



The entire contents of this publication are covered by the general copy- 

 right, and articles must not be reprinted without special permission. 

 Entered at Chicago Postomce as Second Class Matter. 



V Advertising copy must be received five days in advance of 

 Publication date. Advertising rates on application. 



ASSOCIATION MEETINGS. 



Wisconsin Hardwood Lumbermen's Association. 



This association will hold a special spring meeting at Grand 

 Rapids, Wis., on Tuesday, March 19, 1907. 



National Hardwood Lumber Association. 



The tenth annual convention of this association will be 

 held on Thursday and Friday, May 23 and 24, 1907, at 

 Atlantic City, N. J. 



General Market Conditions. 



Perhaps the loading feature of the hardwood market situation is 

 the stupendous demand for the coarse end of all hardwood lumber. 

 This demand is occasioned by the immense consumption by manu 

 facturers of boxes and crating. There was a time when all stock 

 of this sort was produced from white pine, hemlock and a tev, of 

 the softer hardwoods, but nowadays every known hardwood inters 

 into their manufacture. Owing to the immense and growing produc- 

 tion of such variety of manufactured articles in this country there 

 is a constant!) increasing demand for box and crating materials. 

 One Chicago house is said to have purchased within the last few 

 works no loss than 25,000,000 feet of cull hardwood lumber in Mich- 

 igan and Wisconsin, for delivery during Hi iming season. For 



more than a year every available foot of cull Cottonwood and gum 

 hns been closely picked up In the South by box manufacturers. The 

 stock of coarse hardwoods of all varieties is now generally sold for 

 this line of production. Oak for cooperage material is so scarce that 

 manufacturers are at a loss where to turn for their much needed 



supplies. 



A feature of the trade of the last fortnight is a considerable 

 advance in the price of maple flooring. This increase in price is 

 $1.50 on clear, $2 on No. 1 and $3 on factory grades. The greal 



advance on common flooring is attributable to the demand that has 

 been made on the low grades of maple for crating purposes, which 

 moved the price of the lumber up to a point where increase oh the 

 flooring product was absolutely necessary. The new values for maple 

 flooring will doubtless very soon have their effect on oak flooring, 

 which will then be advanced in corresponding ratio. 



(ink lumber is still in verj active demand and even thai slow seller 

 of several years past, quartered red, is in good request al verj fair 

 values. Good poplar, especially in wide stock, is in active call, and 

 prices are ranging higher than ever. In fact, all grades of I It is 



w 1 arc having a run which surpasses anything in this line of late 



years. The same situation is true in cottonwood. Gum demand is 

 strong, with advancing prices. Ash, in any commercial quantity, is 

 practically out of the market, and birch, elm and basswood occupy 

 an exceedingly strong position. 



The entire hardwood jobbing fraternity of the country alleges 

 that it is costing a great, deal more to buy and group stocks for their 

 trade than it is to dispose of the lumber after it is purchased. The 

 bad weather which prevailed in the South, particularly the lower 

 Mississippi basin, for so long a t inn-, and the high water, of course, 

 left their impression upon the market. In the North the soft roads 

 halve curtailed the logging season. During the last fortnight, how- 

 over, better weather has prevailed in both the northern and southern 



hardw I producing sections and manufacturing has been quite 



generally resumed. However, dry stocks are pretty well exhausted 

 al all initial manufacturing points. Where there is any stock on 

 hand at sawmills it has been sold and is simply awaiting cars for 

 shipment. 



As for the general hardwood market situation, it has sorely never 

 been stronger than tit the present time. 



Two Classes of Hardwood Buyers. 



Nearly all the hardwood lumber produced in the country is eventu- 

 ally sold to the manufacturing trade, which cuts it up in the mak- 

 ing of various lines of products. In making sales to this endless 

 line of hardwood consumers a salesman encounters two distinct, 



■ hisses of buyers. One buyer invariably seeks high standards of 

 whatever grades he may buy; the other invariably names the maxi- 

 mum price 1 which he thinks he can afford to pay for lumber. One 



■ lass of these buyers is known as "grade buyers"; the other doss 

 as "price buyers." The grade buyer has familiarized himself with 

 grading standards and believes that he is buying to the best advan- 

 tage when he purchases on the basis of quality. The other man pays 

 little attention to grading rules or to established customs, but says 

 to the salesman, "I want lumber that I can cul up to produce clear 

 lengths for my particular line of production." If he makes interior 

 finish he wants ripping boards from which he can cut strips that will 

 make casing, stiles, rails and muntins. If he is a manufacturer of 

 tables he seeks lumber from which he can cut pieces of considerable 

 length to make up his tops. If he is a manufacturer of office desks 

 he wants to negotiate for the cheapest kind of lumber that will cut 

 with economy to the short lengths necessary to the making of his 

 type of furniture. The chair man demands a special quality of wood 

 of strength for his purpose. Another buyer is more critical of the 

 figure of his quarter-sawed wood than of the quality. Still another 

 will ask for a big flash, while the next man says. "Give me a small 

 figure. ' ' 



