HARDWOOD RECORD 



^D 



noss ii'portod. Thick hruwu ash is lirmer and 

 in larg:er demand, otferings being small. 



BALTIMORE 



Evidences of improvcnimt liavo liorn noted in 

 ihc local hardwood trade during the last two 

 weeks. The range of prices is being well main- 

 tained, while orders are more numerous. A de- 

 cided stiffening in quotations has taken place, 

 some of the weak spots in the list liaving taken 

 on a distinctly firmer tone, and indications are 

 ihiit there will soon be a further expansion in 

 ihe movement. The month just ended compares 

 favorably with the corresponding period of last 

 year, and shows almost uniformly an advance. 

 There is a prospect at present that some of the 

 :iceuraulations of lumber and logs at tlie ter- 

 minals here will be taken away on steamers 

 leaving this port, and unless the embargo on 

 the other side becomes very serious, it is alto- 

 gether likely that a marked expansion in tlie 

 foreign demand will assert itself. 



The price of oak has advanced, good stocks 

 commanding very remunerative figures. Com- 

 mon chestnut is in very good di-mand. box grades 

 having advanced in price. The only item on 

 Ihn list that is really slow is extra wide stock, 

 which remains quiet. The movement of poplar 

 is sutRcieutly large to take up the output of 

 the mills, none of the plants having extensive 

 accumulations on hand. The weather, however, 

 is distinctly more favorable for getting stocks 

 ready for the market, and activity is reported 

 from all producing centers. The Mississippi val- 

 ley floods have had a stimulating effect upon the 

 hardwood business here, many of the mills which 

 were previously confined to tlie eastern ter- 

 ritory having received orders from farther west. 

 Altogether the prevailing conditions are satis- 

 factory, w^hile the future looks promising. There 

 is a general expectation of further advances in 

 the list and a strengthening of spots that have 

 been comparatively weak. 



COLUMBUS 



Trade in every line of hardwoods in central 

 Ohio has been active during the past fortnight. 

 Prices have been ruling firm and there is no 

 teud-ncy to shade quotations in order to force 

 trade. r»ry stocks are very low and mill owners 

 :ire working hard to ihcrease them. It wmU 

 require some time before the demand is in any 

 great extent appeased. In the meantime prices 

 will ranse high. 



Stocks in tlie hands of retailers are light and 

 with a good demand from building operations, 

 retailers are in the market for a replenishment 

 of slocks. They are asking for immediate ship- 

 ments, ^Manufacturing establishments, with the 

 exception of furniture concerns, are also buying 

 better. 



The demand is especially good for the lower 

 grades of chestnut and oak. Sound wormy chest- 

 nut has advanced one dollar recently. There is 

 a good demand for all grades of oak. with white 

 oak the leader. Quartered oak is also selling 

 well .mil prices are firm. Ash is in better de- 

 mand. I'oplar is strong. 



CINCINNATI 



The local hardwood market has been steady 

 during the past fortnight. There has been a 

 good demand for oak boards and this has kept 

 the market busy supplying bone-dry stock, which 

 is scarce and hard to get. Highly-figured oak 

 is in poor demand. Quarter sawed plain white 

 oak. as well as mixed oak, red and white, is in 

 good demand. Tlain oak. red and white, inch 

 and inch and a quarter in dry stock, is active. 



The inquiry for long clear chestnut boards 

 for the house building trade is active, and there 

 is a good demand for heavy, rough stock. Low 



grades are plentiful at prices that make them 

 worthy of the bos-makers' attention. Sound 

 wormy is in fair call for wide, clear, heavy 

 stock, in inch, inch and a half, and two-inch 

 thicknesses. However, such stock must be bone- 

 dry and worm holes no defect. Ordinary stock 

 is in plentiful supply at fair prices, but manu- 

 facturers of built-up stock will pa.v higher prices 

 for the stock previously mentioned in order to 

 save glue-jointing. Wide dry stock is scarce. 



Poplar in manufacturers' grades is really the 

 leader in the market. Nos. 1 and 2 are in 

 good demand while medium and low-.grade stuff 

 never showed a better demand. The demand 

 for wide, clear stock is also better. Box-boards 

 are in fair demand by wagon-makers. 



Iled-sum is in the market to stay, Xos. 1 and 

 2 being in good demand for lumber and flitches 

 for veneer. Saps and common of good bone- 

 dry quality are in demand for drawer-sides from 

 desk makers. 



Nos. 1 and 2 cottonwood are active. Low 

 grades are in excellent demand from the box- 

 makers' trade. Basswood is in good request from 

 the general manufacturing trade as well as from 

 the builders. Red and white birch is in good 

 demand and scarce. The mahogany market was 

 never in better condition. Ash is fair for both 

 brown aii'd white in the domestic trade, and 

 stocks are low. Hickory is in demand from the 

 wheel-makers and long boards are very scarce. 

 Cypress wood is active and some of the lower 

 grades have advanced in price. However, the 

 upper grades remain about the same. 



TOLEDO 



There has been a heavy demand for hardwood 

 during the fortnight and advances in prices have 

 been made all along the line. Dry stocks are 

 low and hard to get and most of the yards find 

 their stocks badly broken. Furniture concerns 

 have been especially active recently, and the 

 building trades have been calling f()r all kinds 

 of hardwoods. Taken altogether hardwood men 

 have much to feel grateful for, and few com- 

 plaints are heard. 



INDIANAPOLIS 



While the local hardwood business is not rush- 

 ing, there is a fairly satisfactory trade with in- 

 dications of a steady run during the summer 

 months. There have been several spurts in busi- 

 ness recently, but inclement weather and par- 

 tially unsatisfactory industrial conditions have 

 not permitted the trade to advance as it should. 

 There has been no recent change in prices. 



The veneer trade is not as good as it was 

 expected it would be. Local veneer plants report 

 rather inactive business at this time, although 

 most of the plants are running full time, but 

 not to full capacity. 



MEMPHIS 



The supply of hardwood lumber at Memphis is 

 relatively small, and those who are receiving 

 orders are having greater difficulty in securing 

 stock than in any other direction. The demand 

 is larger in proportion to the amount of lumber 

 available than it has been for several years, 

 with the result that those who have lumber to 

 .sell are occupying a very happy position. Whole- 

 salers are finding their operations restricted 

 somewhat by their inability to secure lumber. 

 It is proving an exceptionally good season for 

 those manufacturers who have large stocks of 

 lumber, but it must be noted that there are 

 comparatively few of these. There has been so 

 much interruption to production during the past 

 six months that stocks are broken almost every- 

 where. 



There is a particularly good demand for plain 

 oak in all grades, and the supply is very small. 



The demand is sjilendid in the lower grades of 

 cottonwood and gum. and the amount for sale 

 is small. The upper grades of gum, both red 

 and sap, are in active demand at full prices, 

 particularly for well manufactured and well 

 handled stock. The upper grades of cotton- 

 wood are in reasonably active call and prices are 

 firm. There are practically no box boards offer- 

 ing. Quartered' oak is in rather more active re- 

 quest than a short time ago and the cypress 

 market is firmer. The expansion in building 

 operations throughout the country is proving a 

 stimulating influence on this item. The supply 

 of ash is somewhat restricted, and prices are 

 quite steady thereon. Production is increasing 

 but it is pointed out by manufacturers here that 

 it will be some time before the stock now being 

 made will be dry enough to ship, with the result 

 that the present output is having very little bear- 

 ing upon the amount of lumber available for 

 immediate shipment. 



KNOXVILLE 



The local market for hardwood lumber has 

 been all that could be desired during the past 

 two weeks. The demand for dry stock is much 

 greater than the supply, and prices are strong 

 on plain and quartered oak. with a tendency to 

 go higher. The lower grades of poplar and chest 

 nut are firm and active, with a small amount 

 of available stock as compared with the de- 

 mand. Ash and chestnut are very scarce. Both 

 higher and lower grades are selling well. 



The w^eather for the past two weeks has been 

 very favorable to the country roads, and all 

 the country mills are hauling their stocks to the 

 railroad as fast as possible. 



Building operations in this city, from which 

 the hardwood interests will get a good share 

 of the business, show unusual activity, and 

 altogether the situation for the coming season 

 looks good. 



BRISTOL 



Trade conditions in this section are reported as 

 favorable, with prospects for business holding its 

 own during the summer. There is no disposition 

 on the part of the manufacturers to curtail, and 

 the result is that the mills are all busy at this 

 time. It is believed that trade will continue a 

 little dull through the year, due to the political 

 disturbance incident to the presidential election. 

 Dealers report that prices are practically un- 

 changed and that the demand for stocks is fair. 



NASHVILLE 



There has been a good volume of hardwoo:! 

 business done on the Nashville market during 

 the past two weeks. The only difficulty of the 

 situation is that the supply does not equal the 

 demand. Dry stock conditions show no improve- 

 ment, stocks being very lo^v and the manufac- 

 turers hesitating as a consequence to accept 

 orders for the future. Prices have been 

 good and are showing steady advances on prac- 

 tically all desirable hardwoods. Plain oak con- 

 tinues to lead in the demand and stock continues 

 low. Ash, basswood. chestnut, cottonwood and 

 low-grade poplar are in good call. Cherry and 

 hickory are active. Walnut is popular and 

 scarce. Cypress is holding its own. The local 

 log supply has been good here this season, the 

 unusually good tides in the Cumberland river and 

 tributaries enabling the loggers to .get practically 

 all their stocks to this market. However, with 

 continued heavy orders, there has been no ac- 

 cumulation of dry stocks. Even with good 

 stocks of logs, the mills will not be able to 

 catch up with the demand until late in the fall. 

 The building trades, railroads and car con- 

 struction companies are the most insistent with 



