32 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



ance, the conditions are most hopeful and deal- 

 ers as well as manufacturers are greatly en- 

 couraged over the outlook. 



Pittsburg. 



The hardwood market is fairly active and very 

 firm as to price. The volume of sales is not 

 increasing to any marked degree, but wholesalers 

 have about all the orders they can attend to in 

 the face, of continued car shortage and a scant 

 supply of dry stocks at the mills. Testimony 

 received on all sides indicates that the stocks at 

 the mills are much lower than is usual at this 

 season, and although the hardwood mills are 

 running a full turn now they are not making 

 any headway in this respect. The dry kilns are 

 being worked to their fullest capacity. Much of 

 the hardwood lumber, especially oak. is beiDg 

 sent out from the mills really unfit for shipment, 

 and the freights wholesalers have to pay eat up 

 most of their profits. 



The local market for hardwoods, as for all 

 other kinds of lumber, is somewhat slow. 

 Building has not started off with the usual 

 spring rush and although many house building 

 projects are announced the number of large busi- 

 ness blocks and public buildings which are as- 

 sured for this spring is much smaller than was 

 looked for earlier in the year. High prices, 

 chiefly of labor, with the danger of strikes iu 

 some lines, have held back prospective builders 

 whose projects, had they gone ahead, would 

 have swelled the inquiry for lumber not a little. 

 The city of Pittsburg showed a loss of five per 

 cent in building operations in March as com- 

 pared with the corresponding month one year 

 ago, and in the Western Pennsylvania district 

 the record showed no perceptible gain. 



Yardmen are slow buyers this spring. They 

 seem to hesitate in the belief that there may be 

 a slump in building operations in midsummer 

 which will seriously affect them. Most of them 

 are stocking up with great caution and are in- 

 clined rather to buy for immediate needs. Many 

 yards carried over fair stocks of lumber and are 

 only replenishing their stocks in lines that are 

 most needed. Outside the city there Is more 

 activity manifest for the coal and industrial 

 projects that are being pushed forward and make 

 a market for considerable lumber. Salesmen who 

 "do" the eastern cities and the big towns iu 

 Ohio, Indiana and Michigan report an increasing 

 trade in hardwoods and seem to think that pres- 

 ent prices may be raised again before hot 

 weather. 



The price list on hardwoods is well sustained. 

 i)ak leads. In some lines it is almost impossi- 

 ble to get good dry oak and the seller has it all 

 his own way. Maple is selling well for flooring 

 and chestnut is in fair call. 



Buffalo. 



Some of the hardwood dealers speak of trade 

 as quiet, but they really have not much to 

 complain of and most of them agree that prices 

 are good and the demand is all that it could 

 be and enable them to keep stocks of any size 

 on hand. It is difficult to find material to re- 

 place depleted lines — almost impossible in case 

 of some of the popular woods. 



Oak dealers do not consider the prospects 

 for securing stock so very bad, though there is 

 still high water to contend with iu the Ohio 

 valley and farther down. A new difficulty pre- 

 sents itself in the shape of a scarcity in pop- 

 lar. Nobody has a supply of it. Dealers who 

 do not handle much else say that they are 

 obliged to refuse" orders- for it and they do not 

 know when they are going to have any more. 



The demand for birch has increased, but the 

 supply is large and will be much larger when 

 the lake fleet moves, for dealers here have large 

 lots of it bought for early shipment by that 

 route. There is an increased demand for elm 

 and basswood. The call for ash and chestnut 

 continues to exceed the supply. Prices are 

 Dg and promise to remain so. 



Saginaw Valley, 

 riardwood is materially stronger all along the 

 line. A lot of beech No. 2 common and better 

 was sold one day last week at $10 and the same 

 day another lot was sold at $17, a marked ad- 

 vance on previous quotations for that grade. 

 Beech and birch culls are higher and are selling 

 at $13 and $14. There is a good demand for 

 maple and prices are well sustained at $24 for 

 Nos. 1 and 2 ; No. 1 common, $17 and $18 ; No. 

 2, $11 and $12. Basswood is in limited supply 

 at $25 and $2S for No. 2 common and better, 

 and elm at $22 and $29. Dry stocks of nearly 

 all kinds of lumber are exceedingly short and 

 while the mills are nearly all in operation there 

 is not enough lumber accumulating to keep along 

 with the trade. The output this year will hardly 

 exceed that of last. Portable mills have been 

 and are cutting small lots in fifty localities, and 

 this is hauled and shipped out about as fast as 

 cut. 



Cleveland. 

 Manufacturers of hardwoods in this territory 

 are largely oversold on poplar and oak, as well 

 as basswood and chestnut. The demand is en- 

 tirely beyond the ability of the mills t.> supply. 

 Prices ate firm and indications are for a large 

 trade this spring and summer. 



Indianapolis. 

 Spring business has opened up with a rush, 

 due to the excellent weather of the last week. 

 As a result hardwood dealers are finding them- 

 selves cramped for stock, owing I" the unex- 

 pected demand, but SO far there has been no 

 meat shortage. The majority of dealers have a 

 fair supply of all lines of hardwoods, with other 

 shipments on the way. Shipments are slow com- 

 ing in and practically all that have been re- 

 ceived during, the last two weeks were ordered 

 three months ago. There is a general belief that 

 when the shippers' bill goes into effect next 

 month shipments will come more promptly. The 

 greatest demand for hardwoods in Indianapolis 

 at present is from contractors who want them 

 for building purposes. Furniture factories are 

 taking their usual quota and carriage and vehicle 

 factories are buying practically all they can ob- 

 tain. There has been no increase in prices dur- 

 ing the last two weeks, but one is expected 

 within the "next three or four weeks. 



Bristol, Va.-Tenn. 



Lumbermen are gratified over conditions tii.it 

 now obtain. There is activity in every line of 

 tlie hardwood business. Indications are that 

 the output of stock from this section will be 

 very large this year. New mills are being start- 

 ed daily. Many timber land deals which will 

 mean immense additional development are being 

 made, and the prospects for the future are bright 

 indeed. 



Lumbermen report a heavy demand for all 

 kinds and grades of stock. Shippers are expe- 

 riencing difficulty in getting cars and the short- 

 age is now more serious than it has been this 

 year, but not nearly so bad as it was during the 

 closing weeks of last year. 



Cincinnati. 

 The arrival of spring has brought inquiries 

 and orders for hardwoods with a rush, and but 

 for the car shortage an even heavier business 

 could be transacted. The local market is re- 

 garded firmer than for some time. No price 

 changes have been made, but on several of the 

 more active woods an advance is expected to 

 take effect within a few weeks. Poplar is being 

 sought with great activity and the highest prices 

 are being paid for that item. The scarcity of 

 that stock, combined with the active demand, has 

 caused dealers to think seriously of raising 

 prices on it. It is more than likely that an ad- 

 vance will be made within the next fortnight. 

 Oak, quartered and plain white, is also in good 

 request. Cypress has been in good demand for 



some time, and is easily keeping up with the 

 pace set by other woods. Chestnut, cherry and 

 hickory are a better sale now than ever before. 

 Stocks are limited and consumers are purchasing 

 eagerly. The second flood that reached Cincin- 

 nati this year held back the spring trade, and 

 now orders are piling up and causing lumbermen 

 to hustle in an effort to fill them. The spring 

 trade this season is far better than for years. 



St. Louis. 



Business in hardwoods during the month of 

 March was very satisfactory to local lumber- 

 men. Orders tame in unsolicited ami prices 

 are without exception firm. Stocks are univer- 

 sally low and dealers are kept on the alert to 

 rind supplies t<» meet current wants and to sup- 

 plement depleted lines. Weather and the car 

 situation have improved but slowly in producing 

 territory, and as the winter's log crop was very 

 short the prospects for a plentiful supply of 

 lumber are not very bright ; at least, the scar- 

 city of dry hardwood is not expected to be over- 

 come before midsummer and possibly not before 

 early fall. The supply of cars for the local 

 trade has been more plentiful during the past 

 tew weeks, but it is still very uncertain. 



Ash is probably the strongest item on the 

 list ; it is in very short supply, and when it 

 tan be found brings record prices. Poplar is 

 also scarce in all grades and thicknesses and 

 there is an especial shortage in 1 and 1 >4 inch. 

 Cottonwood is wanted beyond the ability of 

 dealers to supply and is bringing fancy prices in 

 all grades. Conditions in the oak market have 

 improved materially of late. Both red and 

 white oak. plain sawed, are in good call, which 

 is .specially gratifying to holders of the stock, 

 as they have pretty good sized accumulations 

 on hand for which they are assured a market. 

 Quartered oak in both red and white is also in 

 good demand. 



Nashville. 

 The past week was a busy one with the lumber 

 dealers of this vicinity and the tendency is 

 toward upward prices. Shipments are still a bit 

 -ted and business is still suffering some on 

 that account. Orders continue to pour in briskly 

 from all directions. The country mills, however, 

 are getting their output to the city now- and this 

 is enabling dealers to fill orders that had accu- 

 mulated. A good demand for quartered oak was 

 noticeable last week and prices held up well. 

 Usually this wood is not among the best sellers 

 in the market. Dry stock of poplar is still very 

 scarce. A still further advance was noted in 

 wide lumber. A considerable 011:101 ity of this 

 must useful and valuable wood has reached the 

 market recently, bttt it has been shipped out as 

 last as it arrived, tilling old orders. One local 

 firm states that it could sell 200 carloads of 

 poplar at Chicago quotations if the lumber was 

 only obtainable. Some ash is coming in from 

 the remote country regions now, the roads hav- 

 ing got in condition that admitted of hauling. 

 Most of it is sold before it gets here, however, 

 and is routed straight out to northern markets. 

 Some choice stock of chestnut reached the city 

 recently both by river and rail and it brought 

 good prices. Good hickory stock continues to be 

 scarce, and handle and implement men are 

 hustling for it. Staves are in good demand and 

 bringing good money. Local conditions in all 

 departments of the market are about as satisfac- 

 tory as the dealers could wish and the supply is 

 taking a pretty good care of the demand. 



Memphis. 

 The demand continues good for everything on 

 the hardwood list and the market remains quite 

 firm. The spring trade has opened up quite as 

 well as expected and the trade is looking forward 

 to a demand that will take everything offered 

 readily at full values. The scarcity of dry stock 

 is still pronounced and, while there is some in- 

 crease in the amount of hardwood lumber being 

 put on the sticks now, it is realized that it will 



