52 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



NEW YORK - 



The hardwood inquiry keeps up and the vol- 

 ume is fairly heavy. Prices continue steady, 

 and a scarcity of some stocks is reported. Oak. 

 ash and poplar are the leaders in activity. 

 Uirch and maple continue strong in demand and 

 price. Orders are for immediate demand and 

 stocks carried are not up to normal. The retail 

 department shows trade moving in better vol- 

 ume than a year ago, which would indicate a 

 better condition generally. 



BUFFALO 



Hardwoods are not in very active demand. 

 However, the yards find a fairly good amount of 

 business moving, considering the season. The 

 expectation is that trade will run along evenly 

 during the remainder of the summer and grow 

 into normal increase of activity this fall, as is 

 (he usual custom. Stocks in local yards are not 

 heavy, and prices remain about as firm as at 

 any time during the past few months. 



Plain oak, maple, birch and one or two other 

 woods lead in inquiry. Brown ash shows in- 

 creased sales and larger demand for basswood is 

 noted. Poplar continues quiet, but low-grades 

 are especially firm. There is a good sale re- 

 ported for hardwood flooring. 



PHILADELPHIA 



There has been no appreciable change in the 

 hardwood market during the last fortnight. Con- 

 ditions at mill ends prevent the forcing of prod- 

 ucts, in consequence of which prices are well 

 maintained. The demand continues normal for 

 this time of the year and probably is a little 

 better than w\as anticipated considering the lack 

 of zeal in buying by the wholesale consuming 

 industries. 



The respective positions of the hardwoods have 

 not changed during the fortnight. Plain and 

 quartered oak remain in front rank ; chestnut 

 keeps steady and sound wormy has a good call. 

 Ash. birch and beech find a fair market, and 

 poplar has not shown any further weakening. 

 The floods In the Louisiana and Mississippi dis- 

 tricts have interfered largely with the manu- 

 facture of cypress, consequently the stock is 

 none too heavy and prices hold firm. 



PITTSBURGH 



The hardwood market is holding up well con- 

 sidering the season of the year. A good sprink- 

 ling of orders is coming in and shipments are 

 good. The tendency in prices is constantly up- 

 ward. Oak especially shares in this upward 

 movement and is probably in the best shape, all 

 things considered, that it has been for years. 

 Factory hardwood, including maple, birch, wal- 

 nut, cherry, ash and hickory are good sellers, the 

 main trouble being to get stock. There is no 

 car shortage, collections are good, the demand 

 is much better than last summer, and general 

 conditions point to a thrifty and growing liard- 

 wood market this fall. 



BOSTON 



There has not been the snap to the demand 

 for hardwood lumber that was expected by some 

 dealers this month, although as a whole it has 

 been fairly satisfactory. The retail yard trade 

 is active but retailers have not been willing to 

 greatly anticipate their wants for several weeks. 

 Manufacturing consumers are fair sized buyers. 

 There has been a steady call for veneers, and 

 manufacturers are keeping their plants running 

 close to capacity. 



One of the strongest features of the market 

 is plain oak. Offerings of dry lumber have been 

 light for several weeks, and manufacturers dis- 



play no anxiety to force new business. All 

 thicknesses are in demand at firm prices and a 

 lin-ther increase in price is predicted. The mar- 

 ket for quartered oak is not as firm as the plain 

 oak market, although prices are held with more 

 firmness than for some time. Birch has been 

 in very good call recently and ash is in better 

 demand. Cherry has not attracted a large vol- 

 ume of business in this market. Walnut is high 

 and scarce with a fair inquiry. Maple flooring 

 is selling better and chestnut has shown some 

 improvement. 



BALTIMORE 



Nothing has occurred in the last two weeks 

 to give a less favorable aspect to the hardwood 

 trade, if the export business be excepted in some 

 of its phases. All stocks are in good even excel- 

 lent demand, and the range of prices is not only 

 well sustained, but some quotations are higher. 

 Xo important changes are to be noted in the 

 price, but the general tendency is toward an ad- 

 vanced level, and a gain in activity has been 

 noted in the last two weeks. Buyers are ap- 

 parently disposed to make more adequate pro- 

 visions for future needs, and mills are still in 

 a position to ship out stocks as fast as they 

 can be made ready. This applies to poplar, and 

 especially to sound wormy chestnut, which wood, 

 after a protracted period of inactivity, has taken 

 a firm hold upon the trade. Good dry oak is 

 always an excellent seller and the prices oCEered 

 are higher. The one phase of the situation 

 which gives rise to some reservations when con- 

 ditions are summed up, is the export business, 

 which is still being hampered by the strike of 

 the dock workers in London. Stocks are enter- 

 ing Great Britain through other ports, of course, 

 but the protracted troubles at London are never- 

 theless likely to be reflected over a wide area. 

 Another development that is giving pause is the 

 liberal shipments from the Atlantic ports of the 

 United States, among them Baltimore. The ter- 

 mination of the stevedores' strike has imparted 

 a decided impetus to the exports of hardwoods, 

 and oak planks have been going forward in such 

 quantities as to give rise to a fear that conges- 

 tion on the other side may ensue. Still the ab- 

 sorptive capacity of the foreign markets, so far 

 from being impaired, seems to be expanding. 



COLUMBUS 



The hardwood market in Columbus and central 

 Ohio continues active despite the usual summer 

 dullness. Orders are coming in well both from 

 retailers and factories, and the volume of busi- 

 ness is keeping up remarkably well. Manufac- 

 turers and jobbers report a better business for 

 .July, 1912, than in July of the two previous 

 years. In some cases the volume of business has 

 been ahead of June of this year. One of the best 

 features is the good movement of all grades and 

 varieties. There is no especial accumulation of 

 stocks as dry stocks in the hands of mill owners 

 are scarce. The movement of the lower grades 

 is good. Prices are ruling firm, and there is no 

 tendency to reduce the list in any of the varie- 

 ties or grades. 



Quartered oak has been moving well and prices 

 are firm. There is a good demand for both white 

 and red plain oak and quotations are ruling high. 

 Chestnut is one of the strongest points in the 

 market, and the demand is especially good for 

 sound wormy. Basswood is in good demand. 

 Poplar is stronger and one of its characteristics 

 is the demand for wide sizes which have been a 

 little slow. Other hardwoods are unchanged. 



INDIANAPOLIS 



The local hardwood business has been fairly 

 satisfactory. Inquiries are strong and a number 

 of sales have been made in the last two weeks. 

 Prices continue to hold their own. No marked 



advance in trade is expected during the re- 

 mainder of the summer. Retailers continue to 

 order cautiously and are merely replenishing 

 stocks as stuff is needed. Automobile concerns 

 are taking on renewed activity, having started 

 their 1913 season. 



BVANSVILLB 



The hardwood market in this territory is in 

 excellent condition at the present time, consider- 

 ing the usual midsummer dullness. With a few 

 exceptions local mills have been running regu- 

 larly during the past month. However, stocks 

 have been reduced slightly. The demand for 

 interior finish and flooring lumber has been very- 

 good. Ash and plain oak continue to be in good 

 demand. Poplar is slow at present, the lower 

 grades. No, 2 and No. 3, being in better demand 

 than the upper grades. Prices, generally speak- 

 ing, are holding their own. 



MEMPHIS 



The demand for hardwood lumber here con- 

 tinues reasonably active. There has been a 

 slight expansion in the volume of business dur- 

 ing the past few days, and lumbermen are in- 

 clined to believe that there will be a satisfactory 

 volume of business during the remainder of the 

 season. The production of hardwood lumber has 

 increased considerably during the past three or 

 four weeks, and the prospective supply of lumber 

 is therefore large. The fact remains, however, 

 that there is no surplus of dry stock at the 

 moment and that those who have lumber of this 

 character immediately available for shipment are 

 securing very satisfactory prices. The export 

 demand Is said to be quite active. Plain oak is 

 in good demand in both the higher and lower 

 grades as well as in both red and white, the 

 supply of which is not large. Quartered oak is 

 in rather more active request in the lower than 

 in the upper grades. Prices are reasonably well 

 maintained. Ash is moving well in stock thicker 

 than one inch. Manufacturers of automobiles, 

 wagons, carriages and machinery are in the mar- 

 ket for dimension stock. Cottonwood is in active 

 demand In the lower grades and prices are very 

 firm. The box factories are consuming large 

 quantities of low-grade stock and most of the 

 operators of such plants are in the market for 

 lumber of this character. The upper grades are 

 in very good request and prices are firm. There 

 are very few box boards for sale and prices 

 thereon are quite strong. Gum is a ready seller 

 in practically all grades. Red gum is command- 

 ing exceptional values and sap gum Is also in 

 more active request than for a long while. The 

 lower grades of gum are relatively scarce and 

 prices are considered very satisfactory. 



The demand for hardwood and yellow pine 

 lumber and timber from the railroad companies 

 is larger now than it has been for a long time. 

 Members of the trade here say that they are 

 shipping more lumber to the railroads directly 

 or indirectly than for a long time and reports 

 reaching here from Meridian and other points 

 in the yellow pine territory are to the effect that 

 most of the manufacturers of lumber and timber 

 are behind with orders. This increased activity 

 on the part of the railroad companies is regarded 

 as one of the most important developments re- 

 cently coming to light in the lumber trade. 



NASHVILLE 



The local trade has been of good volume dur- 

 ing the fortnight. Values are steady, and ad- 

 vanced prices are frequently quoted. Plain oak 

 is still leading in demand. Quartered oak shows 

 improvement. Chestnut, ash, cottonwood, gum, 

 hickory, maple and birch are steady. The de- 

 mand for walnut has been unusually active. 

 There Is good demand for hardwood flooring. 

 The bo.x business, which is always a good Indlca- 



