HARDWOOD RECORD 



33 



be some time before this will be available. In 

 the meantime there is a large prospective de- 

 mand I" be taken rare of and for this reason 

 both manufacturers and wholesalers are very 

 Arm in their ideas of value. Some are talking 

 o) i further advance, while practically everj 

 member of the Trade is of the opinion that there 

 i- no prospect of any recession from the current 

 level until there is some relief to the strained 

 relations between supply and demand. Cotton- 

 wood and ash are among (lie strongest item Eoi 

 sale here, both being limited as to offerings and 

 almost unprecedented as to the demand thereto] 

 Plain oak, too, sells readily in till grades and 

 i brie is not a dull feature on the list. Hum is 

 being taken in liberal quantities ami Hie out 

 look for this lumber is considered especially 

 bright by the majority of the trade here There 

 is even further improvement noted in the de- 

 mand for quarter-sawn red oak, which is now 

 taking its place along with the remaining Items 

 in point of both activity and strength. 



New Orleans. 

 Hardwood is looking up in this territory. The 

 mills are cutting plenty of stork and the export 

 are improving. The interior demand is also 

 showing Improvement, though manufacturers are 

 still finding trouble in getting ears for their 

 stocks. Now that the grain movement is prar- 

 lically over, however, it is anticipated 'hat a 



u I many more ears will be at hand and that 



the result will be an improvement in conditions. 



] here is some talk of increasing hardw I prices 



as a result .if conditions existing here. 



Louisville. 



There is a decided note of improvement in 

 the hardwood market here. It is now possible 

 tor country mills to produce more lumber. Be 

 i ween rains, floods and other hindrances pro- 

 duction has been kept so low that it has been 

 a discouraging feature of the market both to 

 manufacturers and buyers. Now that the mills 

 are running well, the market is taking on fresh 

 life and lumbermen would be quite content were 

 it not for the transportation problem which 

 still troubles them. 



Poplar continues t" bad the market and dry 

 stock is extremely scarce. However, the fact 

 that the mills are getting some fresh stoek on 

 sticks now is making everybody feel better and 

 i relieving the feeling that poplar is hard to 

 get at any price. Then' seems also to he a 

 remarkably good demand for chestnut, espe- 

 cially uppers, to take the place of oak, and for 

 all kinds of chestnut for that matter. Oak in 

 shipping condition is still strenuously sought, 

 both white and red. plain and quartered. Cot- 

 tonwood continues high, but the supply at tie 

 mills seems to be getting a little better, as is 

 also the supply of gum. though there is no stir 

 plus of either. Also some southern mills are 

 offering gum, and some fair sale- have been 

 recorded during the past tew days. Taken al- 

 together, the hardwood situation lias shown de- 

 cided improvement during the past fortnight. 

 That is, there has ben more stock changing 

 bands and the situation is getting right I.' en 

 courage more active trade. 



Minneapolis. 



Dealers unanimously report that they have all 

 tin' orders tiny are able to take care of. and 

 business is limited to some extent by the in- 

 ability to get cars for loading out lumber at 



the branch line mill points. Dry hardw 1 is 



a scarce article, and basswood is now practically 



out of the market. Preparations are being le 



to ship some of the new cut when half dry, to 

 till urgent orders. The price on the low grade 

 stock has stiffened, and a stronger price level 

 will govern on sales during the year. 



Birch is no longer plentiful. The low grades 

 are cleaned up close, and stocks in upper grades 

 are broken up and disappearing fast. Par- 

 sighted dealers who carried a heavy line of 



birch are realizing nicely. They saw that with 



all other hardw Is scarce ami high, birch was 



bound lo be in greater demand and to Improve 

 in price, flooring is active oow, with maple 

 and birch leading and oak losing favor because 



■ •I He' limb price. 'J'be sash and .1 ta one 



have i big line of business .hi hand and are iii 

 lie market for oak, maple, basswood ami birch. 



Railroad demand is strong. There Is 8 ■- I 



.all for oak ties and timbers, ami the ear build 

 • ■is are all bustling for material to till the flood 

 of orders for new box ears. The railroads have 



t a sl.o\ in get their orders in and now 



rushing delivery, although they know the con- 

 ditions well. Tlie car trouble is a gie.n band] 

 .ap and shipments from tin' south are arriving 

 \ei\ slowly. Country yards ar 'dering con- 

 siderable flooring ami wagon slock, and the 

 greatesl trouble dealers find with this class of 



business is I., eel Hie ears lo ship in. Prices are 

 stiff on oak of all kinds and grades. 



Toledo. 

 Spring has opened up an active market here 

 for all hardwoods. The car shortage is still 



i rouble 



.Inst about the time winter broke the horizon 



I ai-ie el. mile,] with t lirea l died label troubles 



and these with the small Stocks made the pros- 

 pects seem dark indeed. 'The strikes were set 

 ile.l within a week and now there is nothing in 

 ibe local situation to retard the biggest building 

 boom in the history of the city. 



Strange as it may seem, even though the 

 month of February showed a marked tailing oil' 

 in building, due to the extensive building in Jan 

 nary, the sales of lumber shewed an increase of 

 I. ii per cent over the sales a year ago for the 

 saiee period. The same held true with March 

 ^.. tar as the sales of lumber were concerned, 

 but this month also showed a big Increase in 

 building. The permits taken out in March to- 

 taled $350,000. 



inie peculiar feature of the building which is 

 now going on is that over seventy-live per cent 

 of ii 13 small dwellings. This feature of the 

 local situation is pleasing to the lumbermen, for 

 ii is iii construction such as ibis thai the most 

 lumber is used. The increase in the cost of 

 building is about thirty-three and one-third per 

 cent, bin this fact has not in any way nil. 'iter,. I 

 with the progress of work. 



There is a fair supply of all hardwoods in the 

 Toledo market and stocks, while not as complete 

 as they should be, will be adequate to the de- 

 mands, it is thought. Small shipments are com 

 ing in slowly and these with the slocks now on 

 band will probably tide ibe market over until the 

 boats begin to arrive from the northern mills. 



Liverpool. 

 Several carloads of hardwoods have arrived ;it 

 this port during the last fortnight and have all 

 sold al good prices. Two or three carloads of 

 poplar boards came forward on new contracts 

 and have all been promptly cleared oil the quay. 

 If is somewhat unfortunate that shippers do not 

 see the folly of delivering their new contracts 

 wit b.eii fulfilling their old ones. The old 

 ash plank contracts are still undelivered ami ,\ . 

 are beginning to wonder if shippers will ever see 

 the discredit they are bringing ..n tbemschi n 



this foolish policy. Everything in the hardw I 



line is very firm just now with II xception 



perhaps of hickory and birch, and these two 

 items are recovering. Second growth ash logs 

 an' in much demand, but here again Hie old 

 i rouble of shipping on consignment is in evi- 

 dence, .Shippers of this w I should insist 



on higher prices. Forest grown w I, Imw 



ever, we think, is just now rather overrated 



in value and shippers should i I buyers on this 



side if they want orders. Oak, both in the board, 

 plank and log, are in much demand and are com- 

 manding high prices. Coffin ami wagon planks 

 are absolutely unobtainable Two mahogany 

 sales ;ii' .lie shortly ami prices can I xpected 



much on the same basis as the previous sales. 

 Judging from appearance of the sale yards a 

 Large quantity of good and valuable wood will 

 be offered. We think buyers will be well ad 



vised to lay in a heavy stock al present prices, 

 as we feel confident thai the mar future will 



sec higher prices. Hickory logs are firmer than 

 they were a few iM'i'le ago and shippers should 

 not hesitate to ship a few hundred logs. Buyers 

 will not look at this wood on contract owing to 

 tin- difficulty "f knowing what thej are buying, 

 but at the present moment there is no risk to be 



alio bed to anyone shipping this w I en con 



signment. 



London. 



ii eaiinot be said thai there is any greal 

 activity in the hardwood market, bui buyers 

 who have waited so patiently lor lower prices 

 are forced to purchase their requirements from 

 what little stock there is offering, the docks being 

 practically hare of stock. 



In whitewood there is a g I demand for all 



grades, but little or no stock offering, and if by 

 chance there could be any slight concession made 

 in the price there would be many buyers anxious 

 to place orders. With a dull market few are 

 tempted lo make contracts at present high inie 



preferring to till their wants from any ■ i 



offering. 



There is a good demand for oak planks :: and 

 4 inches thick in export grade, but little call for 

 firsts and seconds, their place being supplied by 

 European oaks. Boards in till grades are in 

 good demand, but there is little stock here and 

 little offering. Quartered boards are in slightly 

 bet ter demand. 



There is no great demand for walnut at Ibe 

 present time and several parcels which have 

 recently arrived have failed to find buyers, the 

 quality, however, being very poor for the grades. 



In satin walnut the best call is for good No. 



1 union hoards 1 inch thick, which realize 



good prices, it may be menti 1 en passant 



thai there is always a good demand here for thin 

 boards, one large manufacturer practically taking 

 all the thin boards that come to London. 



The demand for ash planks continues good and 

 seems likely to remain so: logs, unless of prime 

 quality, being difficult to dispose of 



Mahogany Is still higher in price, with a good 

 demand. 



Birch logs and planks have I n plentiful 



and low prices have prevailed, inn a substantia! 

 advance in price is hound to occur in the near 

 fut lire. 



RORL/\R 



Rough and Dressed 



SOUTHERN HARDWOODS 



M. A. HAYWARD 



1021 Saving and Trust Bldg., Columbus, O. 



THE GENERAL LUMBER 

 COMPANY 



Hardwoods 



HEMLOCK 

 YELLOW PINE 



COLUMBUS, OHIO 



