HARDWOOD RECORD 



33 



Baltimore. 



llai-dwood couditions have not materially 

 changed during the past two weeks. Oals, ash 

 and other woods are still in good demand, with 

 offerings rather more liberal, however, and some 

 Iiossibllity of an easing off in values. The low- 

 er grades espeeially are more plentitul and the 

 mills seem able now to meet the demands of 

 consumers without trouble. A heavy congestion 

 of stocks of oak in the Liverpool market has 

 served to arrest the movement abroad to a eon- 

 sidi'rable extent liy materially depressing values 

 and this will keep lumber at home which might 

 otherwise be exported, weakening the domestic 

 situation. So far, however, the decline In the 

 foreign trade has not communicated itself to 

 local trade centers and the whole range of 

 values is quite satisfactory. Buying Is perhaps 

 a little more cautious and stocks are held down 

 to quantities that can he disposed of without 

 nuKh difficulty. But experienced lumbermen 

 also invite attention to the prospect of another 

 serious car shortage in the fall, when the crop 

 movement is heaviest, and advise dealers to 

 make arrangements that will insure them an 

 adequate supply of lumber. lieports given out 

 here are to the effect that quotations are keep- 

 ing up well. All the mills are busy and no 

 efforts are made anywhere to curlail operations. 

 The tendency is rather in the opposite direction, 

 a number of new plants being projected or 

 about ready to begin cutting. Good grades of 

 oak and ash find ready takers, with other woods 

 almost as active, while the same can be said 

 of poplar. Manufacturers of poplar state that 

 they have not sold any below list anil that they 

 are receiving record prices for choice lots, 

 though it is admitted that the common grades 

 are somewhat off. 



The congestion o£ oak at Liverpool is at- 

 tributed to a variety of causes out of the ordi- 

 nary and may not act together again for a long 

 time. Chief among them was the removal of 

 the railroad embargo after a lot of lumber had 

 accumulated at the mills, the movement being 

 further favored by good weather. Then it so 

 happened that both Baltimore and Newport 

 News had a number of sailings within a short 

 time and In the absence of other cargo loaded 

 large numbers of planks. These arrived during 

 the month of July in such quantities that they 

 could not be distributed, and hence the quota- 

 tions went off. The same lumber, however, can- 

 not be bought lower in the domestic market 

 and the enforced curtailment of further ship- 

 ments is calculated to get Liverpool in shape 

 in a comparatively short time. 



Pittsburg. 



Ideal weather conditions duiiug the past 

 two weeks have done much to lend encourage- 

 ment to general lumber conditions. Building 

 operations have gone ahead rapidly and all 

 projects at the mills have been pushed with 

 no hindrance from floods or excessive heat. As 

 a result a slight improvement is noted in sales 

 to yard men. There is a strong undercurrent 

 of activity in the lumber market, which mani- 

 fests itself in hardwoods in the increased in 

 quiry for timber lands and the successful launch- 

 ing of many operations which have been held 

 up temporarily for various reasons. It is also 

 considered a very encouraging sign that in 

 spite of the eagerness which pine wholesalers 

 and manufacturers are manifesting to get rid of 

 stock the hardwood men are showing little dis- 

 position to make any concessions in prices un- 

 less on broken or poor lots. There is some in- 

 crease in stocks at the West Virginia mills, but 

 not enough to be considered a menace to the 

 market. For most hardwoods there is a good 

 demand and the number of woods w-hich are 

 decidedly "off" in Ini|ulrles is more than over- 

 balanced by Ihc particular stocks which are 

 hiii'd to obtain. 



"Steady to Arm" tells the hardwood price 

 situation in greater rittsburg. Oak is. If any- 

 tliing, stronger than the first of the month. 

 I'oplar shows no tendency to fall off in quota- 

 tions and Is maintaining the remarkable pace 

 in sales which has characterized the dealing for 

 more than a year. Chestnut is a better seller 

 this week and hickory and ash are being asked 

 for in many quarters. Dealers In ties, poles 

 and posts are having hard work to get stock 

 for their demands owing to the great scarcity 

 of labor and the fact that many mills have 

 shut down. 



Bvtffaao. 



There Is some report of quiet in the hardwood 

 demand, but as a rule dealers are satisfied 

 with sales and all agree that fall trade will be 

 active. The biggest demand Is for ash, which 

 is more abundant than formerly, but is sell- 

 ing about as fast as it comes on the market, 

 so that the yards run small chance of getting 

 a stock for winter. Ash is very high, running 

 above oak, but it is taken at sight, no matter 

 wliat the price. The demand for poplar Is also 

 greater than the supply. 



There is quite a stock of chestnut reported. 

 Some dealers have a fairly good siipply of 

 it. The demand is good, though not so heavy 

 as in case of ash and poplar. In most of the 

 lesser hardwoods the sawmill prices are so high 

 that jobbers are obliged to cast about sharply 

 for the mill that will give them the best bar- 

 gains, otherwise there Is likely to be the same 

 complaint from them as from the white pine 

 dealers that there is so very little profit possi- 

 ble that the outlook is discouraging. 



So many of the hardwood dealers are catting 

 at least a part of their own oak that they are 

 rather easier in that direction than in most 

 others and are able to make their own prices 

 to a certain extent. Oak is selling well, some 

 of the larger dealers complaining that they 

 are still shipping out more than they are get- 

 ting in. All are making an effort to increase 

 their stock. 



All the hardwood mills in the city, and, iu 

 fact, all mills of any description, are running 

 strong and apparently doing well, though door 

 and box factories are complaining of close com- 

 petition. 



Saginaw Valley. 



There are no new features in market condi- 

 tions here at present. Manufacturers and deal- 

 ers are not carrying large stocks ; In fact, they 

 are much lighter than usual, because so many 

 of the mill firms went into the season with 

 practically the entire or greater portion of their 

 output for the year sold to be delivered as man- 

 ufactured. There is no great accumulation of 

 dry lumber available. Prices are holding up 

 well and the movement of stocks is seasonable. 



The output for the year in eastern Michigan 

 will probably exceed that of last year for the 

 reason that at the close of 19U0 conditions were 

 such as tended to stimulate production. Stocks 

 will be lighter In the opening of winter than 

 they were last year. Many firms have been cut- 

 ting on large orders and season contracts and 

 have not accumulated stock and the good trade 

 dtiring the winter and spring absorbed a lot of 

 lumber. The feeling is general that there will 

 be on the whole a satisfactory business during 

 the ensuing winter. 



Bristol, Va.-Tenn. 



The car shortage is still causing much trouble 

 to shippers in this section and the supply Is 

 hardly as good as it was a fortnight ago. 



The hardwood market Is rapidly recovering 

 from the dullness that has characterized it for 

 the past few weeks and there are Indications 

 that it will resume Its normal status by Septem- 

 ber 1. 



Poplar is and has been in heavy demand for 

 weeks and this unusual call has resulted In a 

 scarcity of the stock. Candor compels the state- 

 ment that oak is still a little off In demand if 

 not in price, and the yards are pretty generally 

 well filled with this stock. The demand, however, 

 is Increasing and the situation is more encour- 

 aging. 



Cincinnati. 



A distinctly better feeling seems to pervade 

 the local trade and with very few exceptions 

 cheering reports are heard on all sides. This, of 

 course, does not mean that a rushing business 

 is being transacted, but there is no question but 

 that there is more buying in the market than 

 was the case a couple of weeks ago. Retailers 

 assert that on account of the poor crop outlook 

 earlier In the year a great deal of building was 

 deferred. Some of this they think will go 

 through this fall and this in addition to the 

 regular fall trade will result in brisk trade. 



Poplar again leads all hardwoods. The de- 

 mand has shown some improvement over th% 

 last two weeks, but prices have not been in- 

 creased. There has also been added inquiry for 

 red gum, quartered oak and chestnut. Hickory 

 and walnut have during the last two weeks re- 

 ceived added impulse and several large trans- 

 actions were made at satisfactory prices. 



Indianapolis. 



Business continues good with all local hard- 

 wood dealers and veneer companies, and prices 

 are firm. There seems to be a plentiful supply 

 of plain red oak and white oak. for which there 

 is a good demand. The car service is quite 

 adequate and shipments are coming In on good 

 time. The telegraph operators' strike Is causing 

 some inconvenience, but lumbermen are keeping 

 up their business by liberal patronizing of the 

 louir distance folephnnc oompaniis. 



St. Louis. 



The general condition of the market may be 

 said to tend toward decided improvement. This 

 week particularly this stimulation was notice- 

 able. The car situation is normal and stocks are 

 being acquired slowly but surely. However, they 

 are not yet well rounded out. The fall demand, 

 which seems to have started in, will take a 

 good deal of stock and the prospective car short- 

 age makes It look as though there would surely 

 not be any accumulation for some time to come. 



Nashville. 



Just a trifle ijuiet is the report of market 

 conditions just now. Many of the prominent 

 dealers are away on vacations and are taking 

 things easy. Contracts for houses to he built 

 this fall are well nigh all made. It Is just 

 between seasons for lumbermen, and they are 

 resting and getting strength for the busy times 

 they expect this fall and winter. The principal 

 effort of local dealers just now is to get stock 

 in order that they may be ready to handle the 

 fall business when It begins in earnest. 



The leaders in the local market are ash, pop- 

 lar and plain oak. and the effort Is not so much 

 to sell these woods as it is to get some of them 

 to sell. The market is firm and a tone of gen- 

 eral confidence maintains, which lumbermen say 

 looks good tor the future. The demand for chest- 

 nut is hardly so noticeable. No particular fall- 

 ing off Is noted, however. In the case of any 

 wood. The July trade was quite satisfactory. 

 Already there is one disturbing feature In the 

 situation, however. The spectre of the car 

 shortage Is looming up again and millmen on 

 the branch roads running into Nashville have 

 ntade complaint. Some of the firms report that 

 matters have already worked a serious handicap 

 to business for this reason. 



Memphis. 

 The demand for hardwood limilier in this mar- 

 ket Is fairly active. I^arge buyers do not appear 

 to be operating on a liberal scale, but there is 

 sufficient business to keep most of the offices 

 engaged. There is considerable disappointment 

 over the export situation in some quarters, but 



