flaMwolRocoM 



Published in the Interest of Hardwood Lumber, American Hard'wood Forests, Wood Veneer Industry, Hardwood Flooring, 

 Hardw^ood Interior Finish, Wood Chemicals, Saw Mill and Woodworking Machinery. 



Vol. XXIV. 



CHICAGO. AUGUST 10, 1907. 



No. 8. 



Published on ihe 10th and 25(h of each month by 



THE HARDWOOD COMPANY 



HENRY H. GIBSON, Editor. EDGAR H. DEFEBAUGH, Manager. 



7th Floor, Ellsworth Bldg., 355 Dearborn St., Chicago, 111., U.S.A. 



Telephone Harrison 4960 

 Easlero Office : 319 Land Title Building. Philadelphia. Jacob Hollzman. Representative. 



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General Market Conditions. 



The general market is rather featureless. While perhaps the 

 majority of manufacturers are hustling about the sawmill plants 

 trying to eatch up to an average output, the majority of the job- 

 liers and a good many of the wholesale consumers are absent on 

 vacations; in fact traveling salesmen report that fully half the 

 people on whom they ordinarily call are away from home on 

 pleasure trips. This is the nsual situation at this time of year, 

 and therefore is no surprising feature. However, the result in 

 the hardwood trade is that business is comparatively quiet. De- 

 sirable stocks are selling with comparative freedom but there is 

 no particular activity in the trade. 



A good many veneer people complain of a lessening number of 

 inquiries and corresponding decrease in orders. This situation is 

 probably temporary and there is good indication of an excellent 

 fall trade. 



One of the features of the last few months is the increasing 

 demand for dimension stock in nearly every variety of hardwoods. 

 Where formerly there were ten buyers of dimension material there 

 now seem to be a hundred. This division of the hardwood in- 

 dustry is certainly progressing. Buyers arc willing to pay better 

 prices for this material and a great many lumber manufacturers 

 are now making its production an important adjunct of their 

 business. 



Business with the hardwood flooring factories is very fair and 

 there is comparatively little accumulation of large orders, but 

 there is a great bulk of small business, which keeps up the aggre- 

 gate. 



Prices all along the hardwood line are being well maintained, 

 which is the natural consequence of the remarkably light stock 

 in first hands. The report from the state of Michigan, put out 

 within the last few days, shows the stock of unsold hardwoods in 

 hands of seventy-one of the leading manufacturers of that state 

 to be only 19,374,000 feet. This report covers more than eighty- 

 five percent of the state's total, and is the lightest stock ever 

 held in that district since the state became a leading hardwood 

 producer. The estimated cut of the state for 1907 is only a little 

 in excess of 400,000,000 feet. The situation is duplicated in Wis- 

 consin where stocks are equally short. 



While no statistics are at hand from the southern producincr sec- 

 tions it is undeniably true that the same situation prevails there. 

 While prices on some of the building woods seem to be consid- 

 erably off, the shortage in hardwoods makes it a certainty that 

 values will surely be maintained for the remainder of the year. 



In brief the entire hardwood situation is bright and promising. 



The Crop Situation. 



As is well known, the crop situation has more bearing on the 

 future demand of lumber than anything else. Pessimists who saw 

 distress and financial ruin for not only the farmers but the gen- 

 eral industrial trade of the country because of bad crop prospects, 

 are now put to rout by the crop reports which have just been re- 

 ceived. 



The late spring with its accompanying cold weather furnished 

 the crop prophets with dark visions for the season and the story 

 of complete failure of all important farm products was handed 

 about as an established fact for months. Now, however, there are 

 only stories of prosperity for the American farmer and for the 

 industrial trade of the land. Crops are all right and on an average, 

 stand at normal for this time of year all over the country. 



These good reports come from a multitude of sources. The 

 wheat growers of Minnesota state that the prospects for that 

 crop are specially encouraging. North and South Dakota report 

 that conditions were never surpassed with the possible exception 

 of the lowlands. The yield of oats, barley and flax will stand 

 high in comparison with recent years. In Iowa the crops are bet- 

 ter than they have been for years. Corn production will be above 

 the average. The wheat output of Kansas will approximate 600,- 

 000,000 bushels. Nebraska has one of the largest corn crops that 

 the state has ever known, and the yield of alfalfa is great. The 

 corn crop of Missouri is only seven points behind last year, while 

 the oat crop is the best in years, and wheat is about the average, 

 and fully satisfactory. In Illinois the wheat situation is better 

 than the average, and the timothy clover, hay, oat and rye product 

 is fine. Corn is doing well. In Indiana the records of last year 

 will be broken. Corn and oats are a little behind the average 

 but other field crops are equal to previous years. The same 

 story comes from Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, 

 Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, Montana, Colorado, the far north- 

 western states, New England and Canada. Even the cotton- 

 growing states, in the face of persistent reports that the Crop 

 was a failure, state that while there will be no overproduction, 

 the output will be fair. The planters of Louisiana state that rice, 

 the principal crop, is in good shape, with all prospects pointing 

 to a big yield. 



Just now there is no room for calamity howlers. Another year 

 of good business is practically assured. 



, LIBI 

 NEW 



The Handle Industry. 



The manufacture of handles is an industry of considerably more 

 importance than it appears on first consideration. Under this generic 

 term the line of production is exceedingly broad, including as it does 

 fork handles, hoe handles, shovel handles, rake handles, broom handles 

 mop sticks, axe handles, railroad pick handles, coal pick handles, 

 sledge handles, maul handles, adze handles, drift pick handles, 

 hammer and other small tool handles. In the aggregate the con- 



