36 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Hardwood Market 



(B7 HABDWOOS BECOBD Ezcluaive Market Beportera.) 



Chicago. 



Ilai'dwood lumber trade conditions in Cliiingo 

 are sliowing quite a little imprnvemcnt durinR 

 the last two weeks. Oak and poplar are In spe- 

 cially strong request and Cottonwood and baas- 

 wood are close seconds. There seems to be a 

 little falling oft in demand lor maple and birch, 

 and the good end of gum seems to have received 

 quite a bhick eye locally. The particularly stron ; 

 call in the market is for nearly every variety of 

 box material and many orders have been 

 placed for entire season's cuts, at top notch 

 prices, during the last fortnight. The trade from 

 the furniture factories is better than anticipated, 

 as recent orders have placed this class of buyers 

 in the market for lumber again. Local trade in 

 maple, birch and oak flooring is excellent. 



Boston. 



strength prevails in all branches of the 

 hardwood market. High prices are the rule, 

 but this does not appear to check the demand 

 to any noticeable extent. Dealers all report 

 a fairly satisfactory volume -of new orders, 

 although they say buyers are a little more 

 consei-\'ative in some instances and confine 

 tlicir purchases to as near actual wants as 

 possible. A feature of the demand is that 

 many grades of lew-priced stock are now 

 moving much more freely than for several 

 months. This is due to buyers using the 

 cheaper woods as substitutes for the higher 

 priced commodities wherever po.ssible. For 

 instance, beech has moved rather slowly in 

 this market until recently, but now it is pos- 

 sible to sell everything obtainable. One large 

 dealer says he finds no difflcuity in disposing 

 of beech, log run. 



Manufacturers of furniture are fairly busy 

 and are asking higher prices for their product. 

 Now that they are getting better prices they 

 are more willing to talk orders. As a whole 

 the various consumers of hardwoods are doing 

 a good business and are forced to replenish 

 their supplies. The foreign demand has not 

 been active of late, but some fair orders have 

 been received. A Boston importer of ma- 

 hogany is of the opinion that prices will be 

 higher as offerings are below the average. 



Oak is in very good demand. Plain oak, one 

 inch, is quoted at $57 to $5lt with sales re- 

 ported at the outside figure. Quartered oak is 

 in excellent request. Prices are very firm and 

 some look for a higher level. One dealer, in 

 speaking of quartered oak, says, it is no 

 longer a question of being able to get orders, 

 but it is a serious problem to know where to 

 get lumber. No abatement in the strength 

 of whitewood Is found. The offerings of good 

 stock are not large and prices rule firm. Re- 

 ports indicate that there is plenty of stock 

 back in the woods but not in proper condition 

 for shipment. Ash continues firm and in 

 demand. Veneers are wanted. A good call 

 for black walnut is reported. 



New York. 



The demand for hardwoods in the metropoli- 

 tan district continues of fair volume in all 

 branches of the trade, and it is generally reported 

 1(1 be in as good demand as it has been for tlie 

 past month or so. Notwithstanding this fact 

 it is, of course, a well known fact that s.upplies 

 are increasing in a number of stocks which tor 

 a number of months have been scarce. This in- 

 crease has naturally been accompanied by a 

 slight readjustment of values, but has tended to 

 improve the market rather than otherwise, in 

 view of the attraction which It presents to buy- 

 ers to come into the 'market who have hereto- 

 fore been holding off and buying from hand t<i 

 mouth because of the high prices. The general 



movement is good both in the retail and manu- 

 facturing line, and there is no indication but 

 that prices will not only remain steady at the 

 present range, but will likewise stiffen as fall 

 approaches. 



There has been considerable substitution going 

 on where such procedure was possible in the 

 matter of using lower grades in place of higher 

 in .certain lines of manufacture, but this, too, 

 has had a beneflciai effect, In that it has kept 

 the low grade market active, while, of course, 

 Iiigh grade lumber has taken care of itself for 

 many months. This substitution is particularly 

 noted in ash and poplar, but even at that all 

 grades of both woods are in »xceedlngly strong 

 and active demand, with every prospect of con- 

 tinuing so. riain oak is very strong, and quar- 

 tered oak fairly so. There seems to be an araplfc 

 supply of the latter for all current wants, but as 

 a general rnle good, well manufactured and well 

 figured average width stock is bringing satis- 

 factory prices. Birch is in good call, particu- 

 larly red, and prices are holding firm all along 

 the line. Maple, basswood, chestnut and the 

 balance of the list are holding their own. The 

 pojjlar situation Is very strong and there seems 

 to i)e a slight Increase In offerings, but no incli- 

 nation to force the market, and the outlook for 

 a continuance of firm conditions was iicver bet- 

 ter in this wood. 



Philadelphia. 



The appearance of real summer weather veri- 

 fies the statement made all along by careful and 

 discerning merchants that the comparative dull- 

 ness during the last few weeks Is traceable di- 

 rectly to unfavorable weather conditions. Busi- 

 ness Is beginning to move under new impetus 

 and the outlook for summer trading is promis- 

 ing. In the New York field the building trade 

 has fallen off and there Is a feeling, evidently 

 unW'arrantable, that if buying be suspended for 

 a while hardwood prices will come down. High 

 prices In hardwoods are evidently simply a mat- 

 ter of cause and effect. The recent continuous 

 rains in the South have naturally proved a 

 serious impediment to accumulation of stock. 

 Mills have omly been able to work half time, 

 and seasoned goods are snapped up on sight, 

 which fact alone would account for high values. 

 West Virginia Is also suffering from storms, 

 the effect of which will be felt for some time. 

 In the Pennsylvania mill district there is no 

 serious handicap to contend with and. with 

 the exception of the far Northwest, the railroads 

 have been bringing out stocks with more regti- 

 larity than for some months. 



The railroads are still active consumers of tie 

 material and orders are placed way ahead, but 

 car building lumber is beginning to suffer on 

 account of the gradual substitution of steel. 

 The furniture factories of the eastern Pennsyl- 

 vania district continue prosperous, and tliere 

 is no sign of an early letup, though a slight 

 decline In activity would not be surprising. Sash 

 and door mills are running without infermission 

 and indocu- finish and flooring makers keep up a 

 steady hum. Veneer and cigar box factories 

 are working full force aud report uninterrupted 

 prosperity. The building trade is pnsliing work 

 to make up for the tardy sea.son. There is prac- 

 tically no change in hardwood values. Bass- 

 wood, chestnut, ash and poplar are the leaders. 

 Prices are high but stocks are very scarce. Oak 

 is in good demand and, although a trifle more 

 obtainable, holds steady prices. Cherry, birch 

 and maple are running smoothly. There seems 

 to be no weakening anywhere in the linrdwood 

 sitnai ion. 



of all kinds continues, and while prices have 

 eased off some, the entire range of values re- 

 mains attractive. Common oak Is easier to get, 

 but with this exception delay Is experienced in 

 flUing wants and the competition at the mills 

 has hardly lessened. Manufacturers are in the 

 market and readily take up any lots of lumber 

 that are acceptable. The mills have experienced 

 many drawbacks and have been hampered In their 

 operations by the weather and other conditions, 

 so that shipments to centers of distribution 

 were rather restricted. There are lumbermen 

 who maintain that with a decided improvement 

 in the weather, so that the roads are passable, 

 large quantities of lumber will be brought out 

 and that some accumulation may be expected.. 

 However that may be, so far no decline has as- 

 serted Itself and the outlook appear.^ In the 

 main reassuring. The exporters say that busi- 

 ness on the other side of the Atlantic Is rather 

 quiet as a result of the heavy shipments which 

 went over during the early spring. The stocks 

 on the other side of the Atlantic are at present 

 ments of the foreign market do not exceed mod- 

 erate proportions, so that the competition for 

 stiKks has slackened. Priies are kept up quite 

 well, however, and liberal withdrawals on the 

 part of tl'.e buyers will tend to keep quotations 

 from sagging appreciably. Poplar Is being called 

 for In liberal quantities and the mills have 

 enough orders on hand to keep them going for 

 an indefinite period. The weather has tended to 

 restrict the output of poplar mills, and this has 

 liad a stiffening effect upon values. Ash is in 

 good demand at figures tliat stimulate produc- 

 tion and other woods are also called for with 

 considerable freedom at prices that insure a 

 good profit. The stocks in the hands of dealers 

 here are not excessive ; in fact, they might be 

 larger to insure a free selection. 



Baltimore. 



The changes in the hardwood trade of this 

 section are slight. A brisk demand for stocks 



Pittsburg. 



Trade keeps up fairly well aud general con- 

 ditions locally have improved. There Is not 

 the snap in the market that there was a year 

 ago, but hardwoods are moving with a per- 

 sistency that augurs well for the profits of the 

 Pittsburg firms this year. In fact, most of 

 them already maintain that if the next six 

 months show such a volume of trade as the 

 first half of this year 1007 will he their banner 

 year in sales. The summer dullness Is begin- 

 ning to be noticed but wholesalers are not dis- 

 posed to regard the condition at all seriously. 

 They look for a resumption of buying in the 

 fall that will put them away ahead of the 

 game so far as sales outside of the city are 

 concerned. The manufactories and railroads 

 are now taking more than their share of hard- 

 wood and most of the wholesalers have noted 

 a disposition to increase their orders placed for 

 summer delivery. Some customers are holding 

 off on fall orders, demanding concessions in 

 prices based on the supposition that there will 

 be a general decline In the price of building 

 materials. This argument is not gaining much 

 headway with the wholesalers, most of whom 

 look for a wholesome state of affairs in the 

 hardwood market In the fall. 



The local yards are taking on a little more 

 stock. Favorable weather for a week past has 

 greatly stimulated building o|)cralions aud as 

 a result contractors are beginnnig to take stock 

 that was ordered months ago. Some of the 

 yards have their sidings full of cars of lumber 

 which has been sent to them because ot the 

 easier car situation. Many of these orders 

 were placed early In the year and because they 

 could not be filled they were duplicated by the 

 yard men In the expectation that the lumber 

 could be worked off in the usual spring season. 

 This, on account of the weather and the slow 

 luiilding situation, has not been done. It will 

 be nearly a month before the yards are free to 

 buy much lumber and then it will be largely 

 finishing stock. 



There has been no break in the prices of 



