so 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



ing very flnu, inquiry is quite general, and in- 

 dications point to a strong marlset for the bal- 

 ance of the year. Plain and quartered oak Is 

 firm and in good call. Poplar, ash, birch and 

 maple are moving freely, and thick maple is in 

 scarce supply. Quite an improvement is noted 

 in the export trade. Hardwood flooring is also 

 In good shape and considerable business is being 

 booked. With supplies not over plentiful in 

 the bands of buyers, indications point to a con- 

 tinued strong market for some time to come. 



BUFFALO 



Trade in hardwoods is picking up and has 

 lately shown quite an improvement. While 

 there is not any heavy activity, dealers state 

 that conditions are satisfactory. The BufEalo 

 yards have a fine assortment of hardwoods on 

 band. In fact, the statement is made on good 

 authority that they are maintaining the largest 

 and most complete assortment of hardwood lum- 

 ber to be found in any market in the world. 

 Stocks total about 100.000,000 feet. 



The demand is extending over more sorts of 

 lumber than a short time ago. The leaders are 

 about the same, plain oak, birch and maple being 

 called for most generously, but other lines are 

 getting a fair amount of inquiry. For Instance, 

 brown ash has been getting a larger call, while 

 poplar is taking a higher place in the list at 

 firmer quotations. Gum is more in use in this 

 section than formerly and certain yards have a 

 good trade in it. Basswood has begun to show 

 quite an additional amount of activity. 



PHILADELPHIA 



There is no (omplaint of diminished activity 

 in the hardwood market during the last fort- 

 night, but the buyer who postponed the replen- 

 ishing of his stock pile for protection against 

 an imminent car shortage is very much handi- 

 capped at the various shipping points. The 

 wholesalers to a man report excellent trading, 

 and a strong optimism prevails as to the out- 

 look. The leading retail hardwood men state 

 that July shows the best month's trading in 

 years. August has fallen off somewhat. I'rices 

 all along the line are well sustained. A more 

 vigorous buying among the wholesale consumers 

 is noticeable, and railroads are placing more 

 inquiries for equipment supplies. Box factories 

 continue active, and the demand for low-grade 

 and crating lumber is strong. Interior finish 

 concerns are busy. Oak continues a leader, with 

 scarcity in dry stock. Ash is running well : 

 chestnut is strong: sound wormy chestnut is 

 moving up in prici^ : basswood is gaining ; poplar 

 holds firm, and gum is more plentiful, but price 

 keeps up. 



BOSTON 



All reports relative to the condition of tlio 

 market for hardwood lumber indicate firmness 

 on the part of llie manufacturers. The move- 

 ment of lumber is not as free as it should be, 

 due to the shortage of cars both in the Middl" 

 West and the South. The demand for the most 

 part is very good and a few dealers claim to 

 have received a larger volume of business than 

 the.v anticipated a few w-eeks ago. While the 

 demand is for practically all grades, the feature 

 of the demand has been for the lower grades 

 which are being used as substitutes for the bet- 

 ter grades wherever this is possible. High 

 prices have brought about the better call for th- 

 poorer selections. The fact that the higher 

 grades are not moving as freely as the lower 

 grades does not appear to make any difference 

 in the stren.'th of the better selections. Holders 

 feel confident that there will be demand enough 

 to absorb practically all of the offerings of dry 

 lumber at full asking prices. Building opera- 



tions in this section are large and the outlook 

 favors continued good business from this branch 

 of the industr.v. 



The demand for plain oak is good at firm 

 prices. Quartered oak is considerably more 

 active than a short time ago, and the market 

 is firmer. Brown ash has been selling fairly 

 well. Chestnut is firm with a fairly active de- 

 mand. Cypress is holding its own, although de- 

 mand is not as active as some expected at this 

 time. 



BALTIMORE 



There is no cessation in the strength of prac- 

 tically the entire list of hardwoods. All of 

 them are in good demand, some even being in 

 very urgent "call. The tendency of the quota- 

 tions is upward, nothing having occurred to 

 modify the encouraging aspect of the outlook. 

 This applies especially to oak, which is sought 

 in quantities the mills are unable to supply. 

 It has been suggested from time to time that 

 the foreign markets were being congested and 

 that a material decline, with widespread unset- 

 tlement, might be looked for, but so far these 

 expectations have not been realized, and just now 

 it looks as if such a result would be altogether 

 prevented, as the domestic demand is apparently 

 on the increase and a material curtailment 

 of the foreign movement may be looked for. The 

 yards are placing orders with comparative free- 

 dom and generally are doing a bigger business 

 than ever before. The furniture factories and 

 other consumers are also in the market to an 

 extent which promises well for the future. There 

 is every indication that the mills will find ready 

 takers for all the lumber they can turn out. 



Chestnut holds the gains it has made, sound 

 wormy stocks continuing in very strong request 

 at figures which are attractive to the producers. 

 Other grades are sufliciently active to prevent 

 large accumulations. Ash and other woods are 

 al.so holding their own, with poplar in nowise 

 weakened. The extra wide stocks of fine quality 

 are not bringing as much as they should, con- 

 sidering tlie limited quantity of such stocks, hut 

 as these constitute a relatively small proportion 

 of the business, the weakness in such sloi'ks 

 does not greatly affect the situation. I'oplar 

 has been going forward in considerable quanti- 

 ties to foreign markets. The tact seems to he 

 that the foreign demand is better than was sup- 

 posed, with the future decidedly promising in 

 the absence of retarding factors. 



The one real complication that presents itself 

 al this time is the increase in the ocean freight 

 rates already made and in prospect. Exporters 

 find it impossible to close contracts with the 

 steamship companies for next year, and they 

 are in the dark as to what the rates will be. 

 Of course, under these circumstances it is out 

 of the question to enter into arrangements with 

 foreign hu.vers for future requircmc>nts. and busi- 

 ness is thus halted. The current rates are higher 

 aud there are indications of anothr'r advance. 



COLUMBUS 



The hardwood trade in. central Ohio during 

 the past two weeks has been active. There 

 has been a good demand for every variety and 

 'size of lumber, and as a result dry stocks are 

 generally light. Prices have been well main- 

 tained and every change has been toward higher 

 levels. Manufacturing establishments are buy- 

 ing better now. Factories engaged in making 

 furniture, implements and vehicles are in the 

 market for a large supply of hardwoods and the 

 movement of all grades is good. In fact there is 

 no accumulation of stocks in any grade or 

 variety. Collections are reported as better in 

 most sections. 



One of the chief features of the market is 

 the car shortage, which is constantly growing 

 worse in all parts of the country, especially in 



the South. This has the effect of delaying 

 shipments and a number of the manufacturers 

 have had considerable trouble. Dealers in plac- 

 ing their orders are asking for prompt delivery 

 in every case that is possible. 



Quartered oak has been selling well at prices 

 firm. Plain oak is also in good demand and 

 both white and red are moving well. Poplar 

 is getting stronger, especially in the wider sizes, 

 and prices are firm. Automobile factories are 

 buying panel sizes more liberally. Chestnut is 

 one of the strongest points in the market and 

 tliere is an especial good demand for sound 

 wormy. Ash is stronger and the same is true 

 of basswood. Other hardwoods are unchanged. 



TOLEDO 



The hardwood market continues firm, both as 

 to demand and prices. Plain and quartered 

 oak are leaders, being used largely by the build- 

 ing trades and furniture factories. There is » 

 strong call for birch for interior finish, and 

 furniture concerns are using large quantities of 

 red guifi. Ued gum is in especial demand by 

 chair concerns. Poplar as usual is In good de- 

 mand and there is a great scarcity of dry stocks 

 in wide stuff. Following the scarcity comes the 

 imtural sequence — high pi-ice. Cypress, which 

 can be had in much larger qiuintities and is 

 cheaper, is fast finding a ready market as a 

 {iubstitute for poplar. Cypress is also largely 

 used here in substitution for white pine. 



While the traffic situation has not specially 

 touched local lumbermen as yet, it is the subject 

 of grave alarm. Coal dealers are complaining 

 of an extreme shortage of cars in every sectiou 

 and shipments are very slow. Grain dealers are 

 having similar trouble and elevators are bulging 

 with crops wliich cannot be moved because cars 

 cannot be secured. The Toledo Chamber of Com- 

 luerce is busy sending out literature urging the 

 immediate releasement of cars sent to local 

 shippers. Most of the railroads liave ordered 

 new equipment hut much of this is still in the 

 factories under coustru<-ti<ui. 



INDIANAPOLIS 



There has been nothing unusual in the local 

 hardwood situation during the last two weeks. 

 Prices have remained steady and the volume of 

 trade has been about normal. Thus far the 

 (luestion of car shortage has not seriousl.v af- 

 fected the hardwood business in this immediate 

 locality. 



Hardwood manufacturers and wholesalers rc- 

 l>ort that inquiries are coming in a little more 

 liberally from dealers whose stocks are badly 

 depleted. Some good sales are expected within 

 the next few weeks and the fall and early win- 

 ter business should be good, if car shortage 

 does not cut loo great a figure. 



NASHVILLE 



The lumber trade has maintained a satisfac- 

 tory volume for the pa5t two weeks and dealers 

 report an active demand on practically all hard- 

 woods, plain oak being the best seller, although 

 an improvement in the demand for poplar, ash, 

 hickory and chestnut has been noted. Slocks 

 are moderate and prices rtile steady. Farmers 

 have laid by their crops and as a result are 

 baving more time to haul logs to country sta- 

 tions, receipts at these points showing consid- 

 erable increase in the number of logs during 

 the past two weeks. Lumbermen are looking 

 forward to a splendid business and report that 

 the heavy August trade has shown no diminu- 

 tion during the present month. Uafher heavy 

 sliipments of mahogany logs en route to various 

 lioinis from the coast towns, particularly gulf 

 ports, have been oliserved in the local railroad 

 yards during the past two weeks and more or 



