HARDWOOD RECORD 



39 



weather may be expepted to restrict production 

 for some time to come, and meanwhile the 

 inquiry is as active as ever. The car shortage 

 also continues to cause trouble and makes the 

 call for stocks all the more urgent. Months 

 must elapse before the output can catch up with 

 the demand and the manufacturers are conse- 

 quently confronted by a prospect of continued 

 high values. In fact, the quotations have ad- 

 vanced from $1.50 to $2 per 1.000 feet during 

 the past sixty days, and the tendency seems 

 still to be upward. 



Oak takes the lead among the hardwoods in 

 point of activity and may also he said t<< coin 

 mand relatively the highest price. The export 

 situation is about the same, the trade having 

 been decidedly quiet during the past few months, 

 but the situation is considered in a way quite 

 satisfactory, and with the opening of the season 

 for heavy shipments the movement is expected to 

 attain a liberal volume. 



Ash is close behind oak with respect to the 

 urgency of the inquiry. The trade is able to 

 absorb all the lumber which can possiblj be 

 turned out. 



The attractive prices realized for walnut logs 

 serve to bring out stock in surprising quantities, 

 even from localities where walnut timber was 

 believed to be exhausted. Such is the popularity 

 of walnut that all offerings are quickly taken, 

 the quotations ranging in accordance with the 

 quality of the stocks offered. The export busi- 

 ness continues to absorb a large part of the 

 available supply, and no waning in popular favor 

 is noticeable. 



Pittsburg. 



Decidedly hardwoods are the backbone of the 

 lumber market so far as Pittsburg trade is con- 

 cerned. Other woods are in fair call, but 

 throughout the hanlw I list there is a buoy- 

 ancy that is not seen in any other branch of 

 the lumber trade. Buyers all want quick ship- 

 ments and most of them are in the market for 

 larger quantities of first-class lumber than at 

 any time for months. 



Even hardwoods, however, are suffering locally 

 because of the general apathy in the building 

 business in Pittsburg. Architects and contrac- 

 tors have very little work to do. There is con- 

 ' siderable cheap house building scheduled, but the 

 more costly building projects are few. Yards 

 throughout the Pittsburg district are ordering 

 fair quantities of lumber and the manufacturing 

 plants and railroads are proving, as was antici- 

 pated, better customers than for years. In the 

 east and the middle west the carriage, wagon, 

 implement and furniture factories are contrib- 

 uting enormously to the hardwood trade in Pitts- 

 burg, and local firms are reaching out alter a 

 larger proportion of this trade than ever before. 



Prices on hardwoods are uniformly firm and 

 withal satisfactory. Dealers as a rule recognize 



the fact that in the la. I rather discouraging 



financial conditions and a dull building season 

 it is best to be conservative about pushing up 



quotations. Several minor changes have I n 



made in the hardwood list within the past 

 month and all were well received. There is a 

 steady trend toward higher prices, a condition 

 which is backed by the shortage of stocks at 



the mills and by the current and pros] live 



demand, both of which make the wholesalers feel 

 safe in their well chosen position. 



Detroit. 

 The hardwood market is very much on the 

 boom in all lines. Wholesalers are not com- 

 plaining of any scarcity in any particular line. 

 and say they are too busy to talk. 



Saginaw Valley. 



previous time this winter, or in ten years in 

 fact. Railroads coming into the valley are being 

 overwhelmed with orders for cars for all uses. 

 particularly for hardwood products. This in a 

 measure holds up trade. Stocks in this market 

 are not excessive and as local mills have sold 

 their cut this year for future delivery there 

 isn't going to be any great accumulation of 

 lumber. Maple is far and away better than it 

 was a year ago, both in the matter of trade 

 requirements and prices. There is a good call 

 for flooring and the trade is healthy. Nos. 1 

 and 2 maple are quoted at $24 ; No. 1 common 

 al SI 7 and $18; No. 2 common at $11 ami S 1 l'. 

 and culls at $9 and $10. 



Maple flooring is held ai $30 for Nos. 1 and 

 2. and lower grades are $20 and up. Basswood. 

 X'o. 2 common, Is worth in this market $25 and 

 $28, and culls are worth $18. Elm is held at 

 $22 and $29. 



Xo. 2 common birch is held at *-'i> and $25. 

 Log run beech is quoted at $15 and is quite firm 

 at that figure. Some ash is handled and is 

 quoted at $30, and a little red oak brings $35. 



ing that they are too high. In keeping with the 

 prices paid for other descriptions, mahogany is 

 fairly reasonable. 



Indianapolis. 

 There is very little change in the hardwood 

 market from the conditions existing two weeks 

 ago. Before long, it is generally understood, the 

 market will have an upward tendency and prob- 

 ably all kinds of hardwoods will lie raised. On 

 quartered oak ami plain oak there has been a 

 strong advance since January 1. and poplar is 

 at high-water mark. The supply of hardwoods 

 in Indianapolis is about equal to the demand 

 and shipments ordered in December and January 

 for spring business are beginning to arrive. In 

 the smaller cities of the state the furniture 

 factories are not faring so well in getting ship- 

 ments, especially those who buy much of their 

 stock through the Indianapolis market. Dealers 

 here, while able to get some stock, find it exceed- 

 ingly diflncult to ship any. as it is hard to get 

 cars for the purpose. Dealers who usually issue 

 a stock price list at this time are holding their 

 lists from the printer, pending the expected 

 advance, which will likely occur by May 1. 



The hardwood market is in good form here, 

 with increasing orders and a general hardening 

 of prices. During the last two weeks the car 

 scarcity has been more pronounced than at any 



Bristol, Va.-Tenn. 



It is believed that there will be little more 

 cold weather and manufacturing business will 

 now go forward uninterruptedly. The mills 

 which have been closed down for various rea- 

 sons, chiefly on account of bad weather, are 

 nearly all resuming operations with the return 

 of mild weather. 



While the car supply is not what it should 

 be, there is not a great amount of complaint, 

 at least not nearly so much as there was a 

 few months ago. Nearly all the railroads have 

 received fresh consignments of cars and hurried 

 them to the relief of the shippers. 



The demand for all kinds of stock, chiefly oak 

 and poplar, is holding up well and the warm 

 weather brings many lumber buyers from the 

 East, 



Cincinnati. 

 Trade in the local hardwood market has 

 shown additional strength over the previous 

 two weeks. Orders are coming in at a lively 

 pace and it is the question of when they can be 

 tilled that is worrying lumbermen. At present, 

 I he car situation is considered by large dealers 

 a i iis worst, and this, coupled with a slight 

 shortage of stock, keeps the lumbermen in con- 

 stant jeopardy. All hardwoods are sought, but 

 poplar seems to be in greatest request. Prices 

 are high. Cypress is an important factor and 

 wilh a brisk inquiry and a limited supply prices 

 of course are firm. All grades of oak are ex- 

 periencing a good call, but as the supply of these 

 items is good, no fundamental change in prices 

 has been recorded. Furniture men are urgent 

 requestors for mahogany, and with a good de- 

 mand and liberal receipts the stock is being sold 

 at prices generally ranging steady, although some 

 furniture men are objecting to the prices, deciar- 



Chattanooga. 



Trade in hardwoods in this city and section is 

 active, and barring the shortage of cars and the 

 scarcity of dry stock conditions are very satis- 

 factory. The supply of box cars Is said to be a 

 little easier than for some time, but flat cars 

 are still very hard to get. The Alabama Great 

 Southern railroad has of late exercised great 

 diligence in supplying flat cars for shippers 

 along its line, having only recently placed 200 

 new cars in operation. Owing to the heavy and 

 long continued rains and the generally unfavor- 

 able weather the number of logs cut this season 

 has not been up to normal. 



Poplar leads (lie list, being in very active 

 demand with prices firm. Oak, both plain and 

 quartered, is in good call. In fact, the market 

 is strong for all lines of hardwoods. Box 

 factories are working full time and taking large 

 quantities of low-grade lumber, and furniture 

 factories are in the field for large supplies of 

 the better grades. 



St. Louis. 

 During the past fortnight trade in hardwoods 

 in St. Louis and vicinity has been very active, 

 due to a considerable extent to the pleasant 

 weather. The only thing that has prevented 

 sales of record-breaking volume is the scarcity 

 of all kinds of hardwoods. The only hardwood 

 that even approaches a fair supply is oak: 

 stocks of gum, cottonwood, ash and poplar are 

 very low. Prices are uniformly high and 

 advances are generally expected as spring 

 approaches. 



Nashville. 

 The past week the Nashville market has been 

 a very busy one. The river is high and quite a 

 supply of logs has been received by local mills. 

 The car situation is easing up somewhat and 

 sales and shipments have been unusually active 

 during the past few days. The demand for pop- 

 lar and the prices current on this wood are the 

 feature of the market at this time. Ash is also 

 high. Dealers can get almost anything they ask 

 for either of these woods. Quartered oak brings 

 top-notch prices, with stocks more plentiful than 

 is the case in poplar and ash. Demand Is active. 

 The call for chestnut on the part of furniture 

 manufacturers and boxmakers has been so strong 

 that prices have increased materially. Stocks 

 are rapidly becoming depleted. From all pros- 

 pects this will be a banner year for local lum- 

 bermen provided stocks hold up at all well. 



Memphis. 



The demand continues all that could be de- 

 sin, I and the main trouble with the hardwood 

 lumber situation is the inability to' secure dry 

 stock and the difficulty encountered in finding 

 cars in which to make shipments of lumber that 

 is sold. Weather conditions have shown some 

 improvement and there is more lumber going on 

 sticks now than for some time, but the amount 

 placed on sticks during the past lour or five 

 months has been so small that the trade is still 

 unable to see where they will secure the lumber 

 to take care of spring and early summer require- 

 ments. Prices are firm and the prevailing belief 

 is that still higher values will be current before 

 there is a return to anything even approximating 

 normal holdings. The export demand is fairly 

 active. 



Cottonwood aud gum are among the strongest 

 items. The demand for these in all grades is 

 good, but the best call is for the lower grades 

 in -which the offerings, from all reports, are ex- 

 ceptionally light. Record prices are being paid 

 for both items and. with the interference to cot- 

 tonwood production, which is more serious than 

 noted in some other directions, predictions are 

 for still better values in the near future, Asb, 



