38 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



year. The local trade in mahogany and veneers 

 is very good, with the promise of largely in- 

 t-reasiug demand as the season progresses. 



Boston. 



The local market for hardwood lumber shows 

 but little improvement over the business of two 

 weeks ago. Prices are firmly held. As a rule 

 manufacturing consumers are doing^ a fair busi- 

 ness, but are only buying lumber in a hand to 

 mouth way. Several dealers are urging their 

 customers to place orders now so as to avoid 

 disappointment later, when stock is needed. 

 These dealers anticipate that considerable 

 trouble will be experienced with the railroads 

 in moving lumber, but state that it is hard to 

 convince buyers of this fact. Some buyers are 

 holding out of the market, believing prices will 

 bo lower. The export call for hardwood lumber 

 is moderate only. 



A very good call for quartered oak is reported 

 and it is difficult to get suitable supplies. A 

 prominent dealer states that be has found noth- 

 ing that he can afford to sell under $85 and 

 in most cases $S7 is being asked. Higher prices 

 still are predicted. I'lain oak is in moderate 

 call at $55 to $57, although some mills will not 

 .sell at these figures. Brown and while ash are 

 in fair call. Chestnut poles are in smaller of- 

 fering, with prices quite a little higher than a 

 ycnr ago. Large buyers of native oak are well 

 liUed up and are not willing to anticipate their 

 wants at present to any extent. Buyers of this 

 wood are largely the railroads. Whitewood, so 

 far as shipments are concerned, is a little easier, 

 but prices are still high. Cypress is quoted at 

 about the same prices. Some of the smaller 

 mills report a scarcity of stock, although the big 

 Gulf mills are carrying a good supply. 



New York. 



The general situation in the hardwood market 

 ot the Metropolitan district is very fair, with 

 every indication pointing to a good volume of 

 trade during the fall season. Prices continue 

 firm and there is no immediate danger of any 

 break in the present situation. There is not much 

 good hardwood lumber available for current 

 wants. local yards are not carrying heavy stocks 

 iind furniture and the general manufacturing 

 trades are sailing close to the wind in regard 

 to supplies so that an active demand with the 

 approach of the fall season is certain. Inquiry 

 at the present time for stock in consuming 

 channels is about the same as it was last month. 

 There have of late been some offerings of mixed 

 oak which have sold at prices considerably less 

 than more desirable grades of white and red 

 oak, but it has been absorbed without creating 

 any break in the special grades. 



There is a fair demand for pretty much all 

 kinds of hardwoods with perhaps poplar, oak 

 and ash in first class, but the market is feature- 

 less as regards any special activity in any par- 

 ticular stock. 



The mahogany and cedar trade continues m 

 fair shape, although by reason of heavy re- 

 ceipts during the past thirty to forty days, 

 prices of foreign cedar have eased off one to 

 two cents per foot and are now ruling about 

 eight to ten cents, according to quality. Mahog- 

 any receipts have not been as heavy and that 

 market is in a little better shape. There is a 

 very fair current demand and prices are holding 

 up well. 



■Philadelphia. 



The hardwood market has borne up remark- 

 ably well during the usually dull summer period. 

 .lu!y has in many instances surpassed in amount 

 of sales the business, of July, 1906. There is a 

 notable increase also in the total amount of 

 business done since January 1 compared with 



the same period of a year ago. , But, notwith- 

 standing the more than a few cases of unusual 

 prosperity, it must b? admitted, however reluc- 

 tantly, that there has been a slight falling oflE 

 in business. There has been some weakening 

 in hardwood values, not because of an oversup- 

 ply of stock but simply on account of the anx- 

 ious desire of some lo get orders in spite of 

 the usual summer apathy in business. It is said 

 that the large consumers are holding off buying 

 only because they do not care to overload their 

 stock just now, and it is predicted that when 

 the fall opens up these people will be heavy 

 buyers, while those who are so anxious to dis- 

 pose of their stock at this time will not figure 

 in the transactions. There is also the proba- 

 bility of a car famine which must be considered, 

 in which case the prompt delivery of goods will 

 be very materially interfered with. 



The building boom in this city, which seemed 

 for a time to have subsided, has taken, appar- 

 ently, a new lease of life, as permits are being 

 taken out for the northern and southern sections 

 of the city for work suflicient to furnish activity 

 in that line for months to come. The wood- 

 working industries are still busy and as yet 

 there is no sign that they will have the usual 

 lull at this time, in which they have been in the 

 habit of looking after repairs in machinery, etc. 

 Railroad extension has fallen off for a time and 

 the companies seem overloaded with tie stock. 

 However, there are plans on the boards which 

 purport an expenditure of millions of dollars 

 in improvements in the near future. Electric 

 car building is in the height of its prosperity, 

 with prospects of activity for months. 



Among the hardwoods ash, poplar and chest- 

 nut hold the lead as to scarcity and high prices, 

 yet a considerable weakening in these values 

 has been noticed in the last fortnight; in fact 

 the same can be said of most hardwoods. How- 

 ever, it is believed a reaction will take place 

 for the better in the near future. All flooring 

 material is running well. 



Baltimore. 



The hardwood tradt* continues in good shape. 

 Stocks are moving in liberal quantities and 

 prices are firm. Some of the plants state that 

 they have more inquiries than they can well 

 take care of. It is noticed, however, that the 

 offerings are more liberal and that stocks are 

 easier to get. It is pointed out that much rain 

 has fallen, especially in the mountain sections, 

 and unfavorable climatic conditions have in- 

 terfered greatly with the operation of mills, 

 cutting down production, so that the available 

 stocks of lumber now are no larger than usual, 

 notwithstanding that railroads and other bi^ 

 consumers are deferring purchases. Neverthe- 

 less, there is a feeling in the trade that the 

 future presents some elements of uncertainty, 

 and this tends to restrict the placing of con- 

 tracts to immediate requirements. The foreign 

 buyers especially are disposed to hold off in 

 the hope that lumber may be offered at some- 

 what lower figures, and the export trade is un- 

 eventful as a consequence. Liberal supplies 

 have gone forward on consignment and there 

 i5 no scarcity of lumber in the foreign markets ; 

 neither can it be said that congestion prevails. 

 The conditions are in the main favorable for 

 the manufacturers and dealers to profit by 

 any quickening of the demand, which applies 

 to nearly all woods. Poplar is offered in fairly 

 large quantities, but the consumption keeps up 

 well and the trade is in good shape. No fur- 

 ther easing off in values has taken place, and 

 stocks are being moved at very acceptable 

 figures. The foreign markets are adequately 

 supplied, and in the interest of firmness some 

 reduction in the volume of lumber available is 

 desired by the trade. 



ness at a low mark. In fact, the local yards 

 are buying only such lumber as is needed to fill 

 in their stocks for immediate use and seem to 

 manifest no interest in providing any consider- 

 able quantity for winter consumption. The 

 bulk of the business being done is with manu- 

 facturers, although railroads are furnishing 

 more requisitions than a month ago. It is a 

 sort of "steady dullness" that pervades the 

 Pittsburg market and just how soon it is to be 

 dissipated is a question that is bothering whole- 

 salers not a little. 



The hardwood trade has suffered surprisingly 

 little in comparison with that in the pines and 

 hemlock. Most of the hardwoods are in good 

 shape, which means a fair to good demand and 

 prices very close to list. A few advances have 

 been reported, buc they are spasmodic and for 

 particular stocks. Poplar, chestnut and the bet- 

 ter grades of oak are selling well and at profit- 

 able prices. The lower grades of oak are off a 

 trifle. Hickory, ash, maple, cherry and birch 

 could be sold in this market in much larger 

 quantities if the lumber were available. 



Dealers in mine material report a good trade. 

 Some excellent orders have recently been booked 

 along this line and present inquiries go to show 

 that the mine and river interests will be steady 

 buyers this fall. Standard ties for railroads 

 are in good demand, but traction ties and poles 

 go slow. 



Buffalo. 



The hardwood lumber trade can not be called 

 very slow when many dealers are speaking of 

 the big July they have had and few, if any, 

 are complaining of poor business. There is 

 some uneasiness over the high sawmill prices in 

 the Southwest, but so many dealers have mills 

 of their own In that district that they are able 

 to regulate the cost of lumber to a great extent. 



There is plenty of oak, especially plain, so 

 that the minor woods are readily taken care of 

 so long as there is no need of special time in 

 the leading hardwood. As a rule all the yards 

 are rilling up with lumber, even the scarcer 

 poplar, ash and chestnut making a better show- 

 ing than was thought to be possible last spring, 

 when there was such a wail from the Southwest 

 on account of wet weather. But the dealers 

 found what they wanted elsewhere, both by 

 purchase and by increasing the running of their 

 own mills, till they are now in position to resist 

 too high mill prices if they are made. 



Even now, with poplar so scarce, there are 

 remarks that if it is pushed up .so arbitrarily 

 in price as it was several years ago there will 

 be a disposition to let it wait awhile, as it 

 seems to be the idea that there are other woods 

 that can be put in its place readily enough. 

 Elm and basswood are already in the list of 

 "too highs" and will not be bought very heavily 

 hereafter, except where the mill price can be 

 shaded so that there is something in it for the 

 jobber. Some of the yards are making a very 

 good showing of chestnut and ash, considering 

 the great scarcity of both lately, but the demand 

 is heavy and the prices good. The sale of maple 

 and birch is always large and stock plenty. 



Pittsburg. 

 Trade is dull, generally speaking. Building 

 is extremely slow, which keeps the yard busi- 



Saginaw Valley. 



Stocks in the hands of manufacturers are 

 about one-third what they were a year ago, 

 which is a very satisfactory condition, in view 

 of the fact that all of the mills are In opera- 

 tion. A number of the firms in the valley are 

 cutting on contracts made at the beginning of 

 the year which lakes the entire yearly output 

 of all but some certain grades, and this places 

 the local market In good form. Prices rule 

 steady. The demand has been fair up to the 

 beginning of the midsummer quietude, and it is 

 confidently expected that when the fall trade 

 opens stocks will move freely again. Basswood, 

 ash and oak are particularly firm. Maple has 

 done much better this year than it did a year 



