HARDWOOD RECORD 



37 



dry stock. Cliestmit is strengthening and bids 

 fair to command a better price in the near 

 future. Plain oalc continues about the same. 

 Ash appears a trifle erratic in tone and much 

 variation is noted in the quotations made by 

 the various Xashviile deaiers. Retailers report 

 a heavy demand for all sorts and grades of 

 lumber that could be used in building frame 

 liouses. Local box factories are also experienc- 

 ing a fine business and the outlook is 

 excellent. Prices in boxes have . taken 



an upward trend in the last few days. 

 Woodenware manufacturers are equally as brisk. 

 The mills are busy stocking the yards as fast 

 as they can get the stuff in here. The car situa- 

 tioii shows c<)nsiderable improvement, enabling 

 the quick filling of orders. Practically all the 

 Nashville mills are running and every business 

 seems to be more than making good. The water 

 is too low for rafting, but the loggers at the 

 head of the river are reported to be very busy 

 getting ready for the first fall tides. Much of 

 the lumber consumed here and shipped from here 

 comes from the upper river. The spring season 

 was favorable as far as the tides were concerned 

 and enabled the dealers to load up with raw 

 material enough to last for a good while. 



Memphis. 

 There has been some revival in the demand 

 for hardwood lumber during the past few days 

 and business is rather more active now than 

 it has been the past few weeks. The volume 

 of trade is greater than the average for this 

 lime of the year and indications point to a 

 continuance of present satisfactory conditions. 

 Weather is perfect for logging and milling 

 operations and tliere are large quantities of 

 hardwood lumber being placed on sticks. 

 Prices are well maintained in some direc- 

 tions, but there are .^ome items showing com- 

 parative easiness. The higher grades of gum. 

 Cottonwood and cypress perhaps reflect more 

 weakness than anything else, and this is only 

 by comparison -with the stiff values prevail- 

 ing thereon up to a short time ago. Prices 

 even now are relatively high and furnish a 

 good profit. The lower grades of Cottonwood 

 are in excellent demand at prices pretty close 

 to the top for the season. Cypress has. to 

 some extent, slackened, but there is more 

 easiness in the higher than in the lower 

 grades. Plain oak is a good seller and values 

 are well maintained thereon. There is very 

 little quarter-sawed red oak available, and 

 there is demand enough to absorb all of this. 

 Quarter-sawed white oak continues firm and 

 there is no surplus available. Poplar is in good 

 demand and ready sale is found for all of this 

 in both the higher and lower grades. Offer- 

 ings in this market are comparatively light. 

 Ash is not in such urgent request as a short 

 time ago. but there is not enough stock for 

 sale here to cause any pressure to sell and 

 there is no report of price shading in con- 

 nection Willi this lumber in any grade. Crop 

 prospects show improvement and the feeling 

 here regarding the future is one of hopeful- 

 ness and it is expected that there will be a 

 satisfactory volume of business during the 

 fall and winter months. Export demand does 

 not show any improvement, but u revival in 

 that outlet is expected in the near future. 

 Meantime the domestic call is sufficiently 

 large to keep manufacturers and wholesalers 

 moderately busy. 



Little Rock. 

 During the past few weeks conditions have 

 been satisfactory in the hardwood business 

 throughout this state. The weather conditions 

 have been ideal and timhermen have been able 

 to accomplish much in the woods. This is espe- 

 cially pleasing, as last season conditions were 

 disastrous and many mills had to close down 

 on account of the frequent and heavy rains. 

 There is a rush of timber to the mills now. and 



the only complaint heard is that good mill help 

 can not be obtained, especially in the north- 

 eastern part of the state. 



Charleston. 



This market does not sc.-m to he as brisk as 

 it was thirty days ago. but the majority of 

 m;lls have booked orders ahead and are running 

 full time. All look forward to a good fall busi- 

 ness.. Poplar is still in the lead and from the 

 present cut look there is notijing to prevent a 

 good fall trade. Plain oak is not moving as 

 fast as some of the mills would like, but prices 

 are holding firm at .'S45 for ones and twos and 

 $31 for common, f. o. b. this city. Stocks arc 

 light. Basswood calls are heavy and but few 

 mills have any stock to offer. Sound wormy 

 chestnut is selling readdy at ,$17..'ii) for 1-inch, 

 .$1K..")0 for IV4- inch. $l!l.."iO for li-inch, f. o. b. 

 mill. Stocks are light. Low grade oak is the 

 best moving stock on hand at present. 



Car conditions are fairly good, but some mills 

 still report shortage, not being able to secure 

 snfflcient lars to fill rush crders promptly. 



Minneapolis. 



It is mostly a waiting game in hardwood cir- 

 cles in the Northwest, both among dealers and 

 consumers. The mills are holding at stiff fig- 

 ures that are not tempting to the middlemen, 

 and most of them are inclined to hold off, but 

 some contracting is still going on. Dealers are 

 not offering any dry stock for sale because they 

 have none to ship, dry lumber being only found 

 in the yards in small and scattering quantitins. 

 The new luniber is at best no better than halt 

 dry, and hence can only be sold at premium 

 prices that will cover the extra freight. The 

 owners are naturally in no hurry to sell, as they 

 expect better prices after a while. Buyers who 

 have not already contracted are holding off be- 

 cause they expect to get better price quotations 

 in the fall, when hardwoods are in good ship- 

 ping condiilon and dealers feel more like moving 

 it. 



It is clalm?d that northern oak is either con- 

 tracted by consumers or else has all passed into 

 strong hands, and the same is true of ash. Bass- 

 wood is still very firm and the general view 

 is that a shortage is likely to develop again next 

 winter. The mills are inclined to hold it at 

 higher prices. Birch is firm and the new stock 

 is too heavy yet to move to any extent. Consid- 

 erable has been contracted, and low grade stuff 

 is generally spoken for. The offerings of south- 

 ern stock are not large and prices quoted are 

 tirm. Shipments on contracts are coming Ijetter 

 than at any time this year. The country de- 

 mand for hardwood is very quiet. .Some flooring 

 and a little wagon stock are being sold, but re- 

 tail yards are not buying. Flooring is the most 

 active item in the city trade. 



Toledo. 



The local hardwood market has been quiet 

 during the past week, but there has been no 

 falling off in prices. Stocks generally are in 

 about the same condition as during the past 

 few weeks with receipts a little lighter in 

 most grades. The principal activity is shown 

 in lower grades of hardwoods, which have 

 been strong for some time. 



There seems to be a feeling that the car 

 situation will not continue as good as it has 

 been for some time and this conclusion was ar- 

 rived at largely because of the falling oft of 

 receipts without any apparent reason for it. 



Plain red oak seems to be in stronger de- 

 mand than any of the woods, with quartered 

 white a close second. Only the fact that the 

 demand is not great allows the supply to meet 

 the call. Basswood is very scarce, in fact, it 

 is almost needless to mention basswood as 

 practically none can. be obtained in this mar- 

 ket. 



The largest proportional receipts of the past 

 two weeks have been Mississippi and Louisi- 



ana gum. The cause ot this seetns to be the 

 fact that this wood is growing in popularity 

 with the furniture dealers. 



Charlotte, N. C. 



Local hardwood dealers are experiencing 

 the regular summer dullness, although the 

 market has held up wonderfully well. Fine 

 weather has heli)ed the trade along the line 

 of manufacturing especially. Traffic condi- 

 tions have improved and orders held up tor 

 some time are now being filled with rapidity. 

 Manufacturers, are receiving good prices for 

 their products. In this part of the South the 

 mills have all been scarce of reliable labor. 

 Negroes are depended upon largely; so far 

 foreign labor has not been given a chance ir\ 

 this section. 



Liverpool. 



Quite the best feature of the market Just now 

 is hickory, and as all the large bu.vers have been 

 putting off buying we are likely to see a bit ot 

 a scramble. The market could take 2,000 or 

 :-i,OUO logs quite comforlably and not feel an ap- 

 preciable change. Another item which is badly 

 wanted is large first growth ash logs, which will 

 bring good prices. Mahogany is also one of the 

 gi.od things of this market and there will un- 

 doubtedly be quite a sensational rise, as before 

 prophesied. After mentioning these items there 

 is nothing else to report but mournful news ot 

 lower prices coming. Poplar and oak are going 

 to be easier. No demand and increase of stock 

 are gradually affecting the market and lower 

 prices must come sooner or later. Ash planks 

 still keep about as before, but the demand is 

 low and should any quantity com? forward prices 

 would undoubtedly be lowered. The car building 

 firms, the largest buyers her?- of this material, 

 are all extremely quiet. The Socialist element, 

 which is at present pushed rather to the fore 

 in the government of this country, having rather 

 put a stop to further orders being given owing 

 to the money having been spent in Socialist leg- 

 islation. There is no doubt that business is not 

 as good here as it should be and there is an un- 

 settled feeling all through the trade. 



POPLAR 



Rough and Dressed 



SOUTHERN HARDWOODS 

 » 



M. A. HAYWARD 



1021 Saving and Trust Bldg., Columbus. O. 



CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED 



When you have anything to sell, or wish to 

 purchase anything In the way ot 



HARDWOOD LUMBER 



CHOSS TIES OR PILINQ 



Norval Osburn, Seaman, Ohio 



