HARDWOOD RECORD 



33 



is selling well. Piices hold steady at *."i(l 

 ti) ^5S for inch stock. Dealers are not willinp; 

 to malte an.v concessions for large orders. Quar- 

 tered oak shows no abatement In strength and 

 a fair demand is in progress. Mahogany is in 

 steady demand. A large business Is being done 

 In veneers. Kirch is in demand, quotations rul- 

 ing .|41 to $43 for one-Inch stock. 



New York. 



Hardwoods are tirm with few exceptions and 

 the run of new business Is satisfactory, although 

 there is not the snap to the situation there was 

 early last mouth. Some new building plans 

 filed within the last two weeks will reipiire a 

 large amount of hardwood trim, especially birch, 

 and factory orders are about holding their own. 

 Trices have ea.sed off slightly, but as a rule 

 wholesalers say they are entirely satisfied with 

 the way business develops. Supplies come in at 

 a better rate than last month and while there is 

 uo lack of confidence in the outlook buyers claim 

 there is not so much ditiiculty in getting the 

 orders tilled promptly, indicating that millmen 

 are in better position to handle their new busi- 

 ness more expeditiously than heretofore. 



Ash Is in good demand and stocks are scarce. 

 There seems nothing in view to keep this stock 

 from continning the strongest item on the mar- 

 ket. A good demand for poplar is springing up 

 and only moderate supplies of desirable grades 

 and sizes are available. Birch sales are more 

 vulntninous. but there Is more than enough of 

 the stock offered .iust now than necessary, and 

 prices are easier. Plain and <iuartered oak are 

 strong, especially the former, and oak ship tlm- 

 l»er is regarded as one of the scarcest stocks on 

 the market. The call for chestnut Is as good 

 as usual for this time of year, and whenever 

 possible manufacturers substitute chestnut for 

 plain oak. I'.asswood and maple hold their own. 



Philadelphia. 



The situation of the hardwiwd market is at 

 present a little peculiar. It is admitted that 

 there has lieen a slight falling off in business 

 in certain lines, but the general condition is 

 fair, and the hustler is gathering in the orders. 

 Tho^e of pessimistic tendencies seem surprised 

 that the bottom has not dropped out of business, 

 but seasonalile weather Is here at last and the 

 builder Is pushing every deiiartment, and those 

 lines depending upon the trade are rushed to 

 get out orders. The furniture factories of the 

 eastern I'ennsylvania district still continue busy, 

 consequently are all buying. Indoor finish, floor- 

 ing makers, etc.. are working on orders and the 

 boxmaker. who has been making raids on the 

 hardwood market, still hammers away, which has 

 naturally kept the values in culls and rejects 

 high. It is but natural that the woodworking 

 iudusfi-ies should show a falling off in activity 

 at this time, but n(»twithstanding the lapse the 

 season has apparently been tlie longest and most 

 successful in the history of hardwoods. There Is 

 no sign of weakness in any of the liardwoods 

 discoverable at present, although the feeling 

 prevails among some that a drop in values must 

 Inevitably come soon : but .judging from the con- 

 dition of the mill districts and the possibility 

 of another car famine as soon as the crops are 

 ready for removal, the indications are that hard- 

 wood prices will hold steady, at ie.-ist for months 

 to come. Poplar, basswqod. ash and chestnut 

 keep old status. Oak runs easy, with no 

 weakening in i>rlce. Cherry and maple are In 

 good call. (Jum and cottonwood are selling well, 

 and cypress is in good demand. Cedar, on a<-- 

 count of a considerable amount of small logs of 

 inferior quality recently thrown upon the mar- 

 ket, has fallen off somewhat In price, but it is 

 predicted that values will soon be up again. The 

 cigar business has Improved greatly during the 

 last few weeks and cigar Itox industries profit 

 accordingly. Veneer holds firm and the outlook 

 for trade Is good. 



Baltimore. 



Hardwood stocKs continue to be in brisk de- 

 mand and tlie mills are unable to fill all the 

 wants of dealers and consumers promptly. The 

 range of prices, as might be expected under the 

 circumstances. Is as hl^h as ever. Every now 

 and then a record price Is reported, local ship- 

 pers having lately realized high figures on ex- 

 ports to England. Stocks in the hands of deal- 

 ers are quite low and desirable lumber can l>c 

 disposed of without dltHculty, Oak in particular 

 is called for and the mills have orders ahead, 

 notwithstanding the reported disposition of such 

 big consumers as the railroads to hold back for a 

 while. Predictions made some time ago that 

 an easing off might be expected before long have 

 not been realized. The millmen experience much 

 difficulty with labor, the sui>ply of competent 

 hands being scarce and the temi)er of the avail- 

 able force rather uncertain. This Is in large 

 part responsible for the advanced (piotations. 

 All the woods are in excellent demand both in 

 the domestic market and abroad. Stocks In for- 

 eign hands are somewhat depleted and the calls 

 for lumber are now more numerous than was the 

 case even fine month ago. A fair trade Is being 

 done at satisfactory figures. The exceptional 

 activity among the boxmakers Is absorbing large 

 qtiantities of bay poplar, which wood has come 

 Into extensive use of late, and under the Infiu- 

 ence of this brisk movement prices have ad- 

 vanced sharply. Ash, chestnut and other hard- 

 woods are in good demand and tliere is every in- 

 dication that the present state of affairs will 

 ccmtinue. 



Pittsburg. 



The hardwood market is beginning to feel the 

 effects of midsummer heat. Not until the past 

 week has there been any perceptible slackening 

 in trade. It is expected that the bulk of orders 

 for the next sixty days will show some falling 

 off. All look for a big business in the fall, for 

 general conditions seem to warrant a resumption 

 of hardwood liuying on a large scale. Very few 

 firms have any surplus of hardwoods. In fact 

 most of them report low stocks. 



The railroads seem to be taking more luml>er 

 than two months ago: also the big manufac- 

 turers, which are going ahead with improvements 

 that were sidetracked In the early spring. Ties, 

 poles and timbers are all in good demand. Bill 

 stuff is selling well. Boards and planking are 

 in fair demand and are liringing good prices. 

 'i"be furniture trade is taking its full quota of 

 hardwood, especially tif the better grades, and in 

 spite of the lateness of the season the implement 

 factories are still ordering. Stocks are small 

 and timber buyers are scouring the country with 

 a spirit that shows their eagerness for more good 

 hardwood timber. 



Btiflalo. 



Hardwood lumber moves well and the season 

 is sure to be a good one. Stock Is fair as a 

 whole, with certain of the pientier woods In fine 

 assortment. While oak is not plenty, the dealers 

 manage to keep enough of it on hand to meet 

 tlieir everyday needs. 



The amount of lumber coming in by lake is 

 small compared with last seasim and hardw'ood 

 dealers are not doing as much as was expected. 

 Considerable bircli. elm and black ash has arrived 

 at the yards and the flooring mills are busy re- 

 ceiving maple. 



Ueports from the .Southwest are becoming 

 more favoralile but it will be some time ijefore 

 there is much new dry stock to be had there. 

 Most of the oak and about all the poplar comes 

 from that direction and It Is hard to see how 

 the supply in yard can be kept up at all. 



Poplar seems to be running down faster than 

 any other wood. Mills that up to this time 

 have run on tliat as a specialty are now giving 

 it up. except in a general way, and have gone 

 into other hardwoods. 



There Is always a supply of birch, as birch 

 comes from ail directions and Is carried by all 

 the yards. Without it a great deal of hardship 

 would be experienced In filling orders for finish- 

 ing woods. 



Woods from the district directly south of Buf- 

 falo, especially oak and cypress, are plenty. 



Saginaw Valley. 



Ilaidwoixi lumber is moving fairly well for 

 the midsummer season. Basswood and ash are 

 particularly firm and there Is a call for all that 

 is being offered. Beech Is considerably stronger 

 than It was earlier in the season and is selling 

 freely. Maple Is In better form than it was a 

 yeai* ago and some higher, with a fair move- 

 ment. In other grades the market is steady 

 and firm. There Is some oak reaching this mar- 

 ket, but the supply is not large. There appears 

 to be enough hardwood stoc-k available to sup- 

 ply the trade and the outlook for the fall Is 

 healthy. The output will be about as large as 

 that of last year. 



There is not a great accumuiatUm of lumber 

 stocks despite the fact that all mills are In 

 operation. One thing that may affect the 

 activity of the trade is that the entire cut of 

 the year was sold at the beginning of the year 

 by a number of firms and this takes so much 

 stiM-k out of the market. 



Indianapolis. 



Local lumbermen generally arc remarking on 

 the steady condition of the hardwood market. 

 There seems to be no break in sight, although 

 the demand has continued practically imchanged 

 foi* some weeks. Quartered oak continues 

 scarce but this is taken as a matter of fact 

 and substitutes are being used largely. 



Railroad conditions continue good, with an 

 ample supply of cars and shipments coming in 

 nicely. The car situation promises to be re 

 Moved still more by an order to the effect that 

 old freight cars must be repaired and continued 

 In service on branch lines with the coming of 

 new equipment. Heretofore when local roads 

 received new equipment old cars were destroyed. 



Bristol, Va. 



There has beeu no material change in condi- 

 tions in the hardwood trade in this city and 

 section during the past two weeks. The demand 

 is only fair but values are firm. This condition 

 is chiefly attributable to the summer season, 

 and there are unmistakable indications of an 

 early acceleration of Inisiness. 



The lumliermen of this city and section do 

 not seem to liave been affected by the dullness 

 of the market as much as in other sections, 

 probably because the dull season found them 

 with more business on their hands than they 

 could handle. The car supply continues amiile. 

 and no complaint has been heard for several 

 weeks on this score. 



Cincinnati. 



The hot weather of the past few days has 

 not had as weakening an effect im business as 

 was first thought. The dull season in the lum- 

 ber trade is the latter jiart of- June and the 

 month of .Tuly. but as it now appears the month 

 of July will not be as dull as is usually the case. 

 The demand for all grades of hardwoods is 

 good. Logs are plentiful here and the sawmills 

 are all working busily. The .same good demand 

 still prevails for poplar, and consumers are all 

 willing to pay the price asked for it. Oak, both 

 quartered and plain white, is keeping up nicely, 

 and the same can be said for cypress. Ma- 

 hogany has showed added spirit during the last 

 fortnight but prices have not been Increased. 

 Cedar posts have been in good demand and the 

 cuts made several weeks ago are being readily 

 absorbed under firm prices. The lumber situa- 

 tion here as a whole is about steady, with the 

 inquiry good and receipts the same. 



