HARDWOOD RECORD 



37 



immediate use, evidently still hugging the de- 

 lusion that the price schedule will shortly be 

 lowered. This will not take place, and fur- 

 thermore, it is not only possible but probable 

 that consumers who wait very much longer 

 before getting in their supplies will be serious- 

 ly hampered by the usual fall car shortage 

 when it comes time for delivery. All concerns 

 are making strong efforts to replenish their 

 :i-ard stocks during this temporary lull in de- 

 mand, but although the car supply has im- 

 proved, the few weeks of pleasant weather ex- 

 perienced a month or more ago were not the 

 forenmners of a good logging season, as they 

 appeared to be, and were followed by ex- 

 tremely heavy rains, which still continue, 

 making the woods and all low land almost 

 impassable. In fact, many mills in Missouri 

 and Arkansas, as well as in parts of Louis- 

 iana and Mississippi, have suspended opera- 

 • ions. Even those large plants which are well 

 equipped with logging roads have suffered 

 from continued interruptions to work caused 

 by floods and washouts. The general situation 

 does not show any radical change over that 

 uf a fortnight ago. 



Nashville. 



A general advance in prices was noted in 

 the local lumber market last week. Poplar 

 and ash were advanced, following a slight low- 

 ering in prices on dry stocks the week previ- 

 ous. Poplar continues to be a top-notcher in 

 price and this wood along with ash is getting 

 deai-er all the time. Many of the local lum- 

 bermen, however, are making good money on 

 poplar, as a large amount of it cut in this 

 vicinity is owned or controlled by Nashville 

 concerns. A slightly increased demand is 

 noted for plain and quartered oak. An upward 

 tendency is noted in walnut, beech and chest- 

 nut. These woods have experienced advances 

 from time to time during the past winter and 

 early spring. The river has had a good tide 

 on for some time and many logs have reached 

 the market. The mills are all working full 

 blast and on every hand there are indications 

 of prosperity. The supply of railroad ties and 

 poles is reported short owing to the fact that 

 the farmers are busy getting their crops 

 itlanted and have not had time to cut pbles 

 and ties. Top prices are being paid here for 

 these items. 



Memphis. 



The hardwood situation here continues 

 quite healthy. The demand readily absorbs 

 all the dry stock available for immediate 

 shipment and there is therefore no pressure 

 to sell. In some instances it is reported that 

 prices are being shaded on the high grade 

 gum, but there is nothing to indicate any 

 special weakness in that item. Low grade 

 gum is in excellent request and full prices 

 are being paid therefor. Ash. cottonwood, 

 poplar, cypress and all grades and descrip- 

 tions of oak are in excellent request and 

 prices are about as high as they have been 

 at any time this season. Buyers are perhaps 

 not quite as persistent as they were a short 

 time ago, owing to the arrival of delayed 

 shipments, but there is no difficulty in dis- 

 posing of well-sawed, well-handled lumber at 

 satisfactory values. The export situation is 



PORLAR 



Rough and Dressed 



SOUTHERN HARDWOODS 



M. A. HAYWARD 



1021 Saving and Trust Bldg., Columbus, O. 



hardly as healthy. Several exporters state 

 that they are in receipt of advices indicat- 

 ing the presence of considerable consigned 

 stock on the other side, which is interfering 

 somewhat with firm offers. The recent in- 

 terference with production, growing out of 

 the unfavorable logging and milling condi- 

 tions, will, it is believed, result in a well 

 maintained market for some time because 

 assuring the continuance of the recent 

 strained relations between supply and de- 

 mand. The car situation is quite satisfac- 

 tory. 



Minneapolis. 



Conditions are rather quiet all along the 

 line at present. The dealers are devoting 

 most of their energies to taking care of old 

 orders, and cleaning up their business before 

 starting in with the new year's cut. This 

 line of activity will probably prevail until per- 

 haps the end of June. Manufacturers in some 

 lines claim they are doing a lighter business 

 than last year, and conditions just at this 

 time in the Northwest seem to warrant their 

 statements. They are picking up dry hard- 

 wood when it is offered, however, and not 

 haggling about the price, though they are slow 

 to eonti-act ahead for new stock at present 

 prices. The sash and door factories are keep- 

 ing well stocked on birch, oak and maple, as 

 the building movement is heavy and calls for 

 large quantities of hardwood finish. 



The railroad demand has fallen oft, and pur- 

 chasing agents are sending out stories about 

 retrenchment. They look a good deal like 

 attempts to bear the market, however. The 

 retail yards are not active in the market for 

 any kind of lumber just now, and the outside 

 demand for hardwoods is rather slow\ There 

 is plenty, however, considering the low state 

 of dry hardwood lumber, and the orders that 

 dribble in are enough to pick the yards clean 

 by .luly 1. Birch is running low and other 

 northern woods are practically out of the 

 market unless shipped green. Southern stock 

 is coming more freely now, and about all the 

 oak being received in the northwest is coming 

 from southern mills. They are reporting a 

 better car situation, but their stocks as a rule 

 are very limited and likely to be closed out 

 earlier than usual. 



Toledo. 



The demand is generally fair and as a 

 consequence there is no marked difference in 

 prices in the local hardwood market. There 

 seems to be more effort to force buying than 

 for some time, due largely to the failure of the 

 building boom that was anticipated earlier in 

 the season. 



The car situation is only fair. For the last 

 two or three weeks things have been going 

 along smoothly but this does not seem to be 

 lasting. If a change comes and the demand 

 grows unexpectedly as it should there is liable 

 to be a big cry for material and prices may 

 respond. 



Poplar is about the only wood that ha,s 

 shown any material change during the week. 

 The better grades are stiffer than ever but 

 the lower grades are being offered to local 

 consumers at off prices. The prices are still 

 high enough, but they are some weaker than 

 they have been for several weeks. Delivery, 

 however, is not guaranteed. 



Liverpool. 



Chaloner's wood circular for May announces 

 that arrivals from North American ports dur- 

 ing April have been considerably less than 

 the corresponding month last year. There 

 have been no arrivals of oak logs the past 

 month, but deliveries have been fair; prices 

 remain unchanged; stocks are very light. The 

 consumption of elm has been nominal and 



the stock is still sufflcient. Ash has been 

 coming in in quantities which have kept the 

 stock large enough. Walnut logs of prime 

 quality and good size are in request, and for 

 desirable shipments full prices would be ob- 

 tained; boards and planks of this wood are 

 in steady call at fair prices, according to 

 quality and specification. There is a moder- 

 ate demand for seasoned satin walnut boards 

 of good quality, but logs are not wanted. 

 Whitewood logs of good dimensions are bring- 

 ing good prices, as are also boards and planks. 

 Of birch logs there has been a fair import, 

 and consumption has been good the past 

 month: the stock is heavy and prices are 

 still steady and unchanged; planks have been 

 moderately imported and deliveries fair. Prime 

 quality hickory logs sell at good prices. The 

 market in African mahogany is in a very 

 strong position, the demand being exceeding- 

 ly active, and full values rule for medium to 

 large logs in sound or fairly sound condition. 

 Stocks are light and shipments will be well 

 received. This is practically true of Cuban, 

 Mexican and Central American mahogany 

 also. Stocks in all varieties of this wood are 

 much depleted. 



London. 



There is a fair amount of business doing, 

 but it may be fairly said that it is of a 

 forced nature. During the past fortnight 

 close upon 400 carloads of lumber have ar- 

 rived per the steamers from New Orleans 

 and Newport News. These vessels have 

 mostly oak lumber of various grades. Another 

 steamer is shortly due from New Orleans 

 and carries about 350 cars of lumber. 



Now, whilst it must be admitted that quite 

 one- third of these cars have arrived under 

 firm contracts the balance of say 500 cai-s 

 have to be sold, and on a market that is 

 exceedingly dull owing to the slack state of 

 the cabinet and building trades here. Buyers 

 are taking this opportunity whilst these 

 stocks are being forced upon the markets to 

 point out that there is an end at last to the 

 high prices that have been ruling for some 

 time. Be that as it may, why this quantity 

 of lumber has been slumped upon the market 

 so suddenly is a puzzle. Either prices are 

 falling in the states and shippers are only too 

 glad to ship goods against drafts, chancing 

 the prices that these goods will realize 

 when sold, after the heavy dock charges have 

 accrued upon them; or this is the direct re- 

 sult of the recent visit to the states of a rep- 

 resentative of one of the firms of brokers 

 here who sell on commission and urge ship- 

 pers to send them lumber on consignment, 

 a practice which has been so often strongly 

 written against in this paper, and can only 

 mean a great loss to parties concerned, as 

 the London market cannot absorb this quan- 

 tity foi" some months. 



Plain oak, there is a good demand for 

 "dry" parcels of which the market is in need, 

 but most of the parcels recently arrived do 

 not fulfill this requirement. Quartered oak 

 is in slightly better demand for boards and 

 planks, and the demand for moulding strips 

 of this wood is much greater than the supply. 



In satin walnut there is still a good de- 

 mand for No. 1 common, but prime grades 

 are neglected. In walnut, the arrivals have 

 been light, but sufficient for the demand, 

 and supplies certainly seem to be regulated 

 according to the market requirements. 



All grades of whitewood are in good re- 

 quest at fair prices, and unless heavy con- 

 signments are made, prices bid fair to be 

 maintained all the summer. 



Several large parcels of poor ash logs have 

 arrived recently which are difficult to sell. 



Some very fine parcels of hickory logs have 

 recently been seen on the quay, which have 

 changed hands at good prices. 



