2>2 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



stock is uot plentiful. Quai-tered oak is quiet. 

 ( ifft'i-ings in most instances are of fair size. 

 I'iain oak is not in active demand. A few fair- 

 sizi'd iniiuiries are received. Trices are not as 

 lii^h as tlie.v were two months ago. 



New York. 



Tlicrc is a decidedly belter tone to tlie liard- 

 wood siluatiou than a month ago. The improve- 

 ment liids fair to continue, as there is ever.v 

 indication that locai consumption will be of good 

 volume dnriujj the fall and winter, while reports 

 received from manufacturing centers leave no 

 doubt but that prices will be held stiff. Sup- 

 plies in many sections are badly broken and 

 short. 



The local sash, door. trim, trunk, piano iind 

 general manufacturers have not accumulated any 

 supplies ahead and for the most part are buying 

 from hand to mouth, while the demands of their 

 business keep them in the market right along. 

 This class of buyers have purposely sailed close 

 to the wind with an idea that stocks would be 

 chi-aper as the season advanced, but such has 

 not been the case and the procrastination here- 

 tofore evident in this particular has to a large 

 extent passed away and transactions are more 

 free "at the market." 



The stocks in lirst call are still led by chest- 

 nut, which is exceedingly scarce in the face of 

 a very heavy call. All offerings are absorbed at 

 good prices and plain oak has eased oB: a bit 

 in demand, but prices are still firm. Poplar is 

 fairly active : prices are well maintained, al 

 thousli there seem to be ample offerings for 

 rurrcnf wants. Quartered oak and maple are 

 slow .ind the market featnreles.s, generally 

 speaking. Birch is having its usual good run 

 and ash is quite readily salable, although its 

 market is somewhat limited. 



Philadelphia. 



The movement of hardwoods for the month of 

 .\ugust to date shows a tendency to increase. 

 The better class of houses that demand hard- 

 wood finishings are now in condition to take 

 this stock and the lumber in the retail yards 

 is Iielow the amount usually held. In spite of 

 I his. however, there seems to be a reluctance on 

 the part of many of the yards to buy just now 

 and this condition will probably result in hard- 

 ship later on when the rush of business comes. 

 From all indications here there will be a more 

 pronounced shortage of cars than usual this 

 season, owing to the enormous crops that are 

 to be moved. If the expected demand for lumber 

 occurs at the time that the railroads are en- 

 gaged in transporting the harvests, the shortage 

 will cause considerable trouble. 



(')ak, chestnut and poplar are in good shape 

 and moving freely, especially good stocks of 

 these woods. Cypress seems to be holding its 

 own and good ash is in demand. Taken alto- 

 gether, the summer season this far, although 

 not notable for any remarkable activity in any 

 line, has exhibited a steady selling quality that 

 has caused satisfaction. 



Baltimore. 



.\'o changes of nolt.- luivc taken place in the 

 lumber trade of this city and section. All the 

 woods in general use appear to be moving 

 freely and the millmeu say that they have or- 

 (lers in hand for their output for months to 

 come. Itains, floods and other causes have 

 served to eurtail production, so that the quality 

 of lumber available is only moderate, while the 

 inquiry seems to be unabated and consumers are 

 apparently eager to secure supplies. Under the 

 circumstances it is only natural that the range 

 of values should be firm. Good oak takes the 

 lead. Railroads and other large buyers are in 

 the market for large quantities and the avail- 

 able supplies are comparatively small as a re- 

 sult. The export business is uneventful for the 

 reason that the needs of the domestic market 

 do not leave foreign shippers much in the wa.v 

 of available stocks, and prices are consequently 



high. Ash is in excellent demand at good val- 

 ues. Poplar is holding its own remarkably well, 

 (iood stocks are in strong request and the mills 

 are able to dispose of their product without 

 difficulty. The quantity of lumber available is 

 rather small, while the consumption has tor 

 some time past attained an unusual volume. 

 lAimber in considerable quantities is being sent 

 abroad, and this helps to keep the local situa- 

 tion strong. Other hardwoods are firm, the 

 entire trade being exceptionally active for this 

 season of the year i\nd keeping close to record 

 figures in point of volume. 



Pittsburg, 



Vacation apathy is still strongly in evidence 

 in the Pittsburg market. The ma.iority of heads 

 of firms are away, and none can boast of any- 

 thing like a full count of men and women in 

 (lieir offices, for over half the forces are away 

 on vacations. Consequently business is not brisk. 



Hardwoods are still in the ascendency so far 

 as demaufl in local offices is concerned. There 

 is a very encouraging firmness about hardwood 

 prices in general. Stocks are also low. It is re- 

 ported, and dealers look for still higher quota- 

 tions when the fall market is fairly open. 



The building siluation in Pittsburg is once 

 more in an aggravating state of chaos. Sympa- 

 thetic strikes are the order of the day. A con- 

 stant warfare is on between the labor unions 

 and the Master Ituilders' Association, the occa- 

 sion being the contention of the latter that an 

 open shop policy shall rule and that the merit 

 system shall be put in force throughout the 

 Greater Pittsburg territory. 



Oak leads the hardwood market in demand. 

 Common oak planking has shown a slighl weak- 

 ness the last few days, due to oversupply among 

 some of the main distributors in this territory. 

 This is only temporary and is a decided excep- 

 tion to all other lines of oak lumber, which are 

 extremely firm in price. Chestnut is firm with a 

 slight increase in demand. Maple flooring is in 

 uuich better call than the first of the month and 

 some good local jobs are being figured, llickorj' 

 is wanted throughout C)hio and Indiana and some 

 local firms are now preparing to make big cuts 

 .>f hbk(U-y this fall. 



BuiTalo, 



There is all of the former activity in llie 

 hardwood lumber trade, although dealers as a 

 rule do not feel like urging sales at this time 

 of the year as they would in spring or fall, as 

 prices are seldom as strong in warm weather or 

 in midwinter as they are the rest of the year. 



The prices of hardwoods have been very 

 uniform for some time since chestnut came up 

 about lo the level of plain oak, poplar alone 

 continuing to advance. This is likely to 

 continue as the reports from poplar producers 

 are that logs are not coming in very freely and 

 the supply will be very short. Those having or 

 producing chestnut say that low grades are the 

 main product now, but that everything sells. 

 If the cheapest grades are wanted for nothing 

 else they go to the box factories for crating. 



The quietest wood now seems to be elm. the 

 reason for this being the high price. However, 

 the cooperage trade utilizes large quantities at 

 prevailing high prices. 



Basswood which had joined elm as an off 

 wood, also on account of the high price, is now 

 coming back into favor, probably on account of 

 the high price of poplar, as the two largely go 

 into tile same trade. Dealers say now that it 

 sells quite briskly again and are handling it if 

 the mill prices are not too stiff. Oak, birch, 

 maple and ash are as strong as ever. 



Bristol, Va,-Tenn. 



Trade conditions in this city and section re- 

 main practically unchanged. There is a fair 

 demand for all kinds of stock. A shortage in 

 lioplar and oak, more especially the former, is 

 apparent. 



The car supply seems adequate and little 



trouble has been encountered thus far in this 

 respect. 



This has been a banner season for the country 

 mills. They are practically all running regu- 

 larly and many of them overtime, in an effort to 

 get out as much stuff as possible and get it to 

 the railways before the roads become impassable. 

 Some of the mills are complaining of an insuffi- 

 ciency of logs, but the majority seem to be well 

 stocked. 



Nashville, 



The usual midsummer dullness has failed to 

 materialize in the Nashville market this season. 

 Inquiries and orders are as plentiful as in the 

 busy spring. Though there are not as many vis- 

 iting buyers here now, mail orders are making up 

 for what they might purchase. Many of the 

 dealers have put more orders on their books 

 during the last two or three weeks than during 

 the two months preceding. Dealers are most 

 sanguine of the outlook for fall business. 



'J'he market is absolutely bare of chestntit and 

 ash in all grades and thicknesses. Plain oak, 

 red and white, . common and clear, is bringing 

 good prices, and the demand is active. Most of 

 the mills have discontinued sawing quartered red. 

 There is little of it on hand, and no great de- 

 mand noticeable. Quartered white oak is mov- 

 ing at good prices. Dry poplar is almost un- 

 obtainable in any grade or thickness and some 

 advance in price is expected. There is a good 

 call for gum and sycamore, the former being 

 used for boxes and coffins and the latter for 

 tobacco boxes. Some gum ' is being used now 

 for flooring purposes with evident success. Re- 

 cent advances are noted in the price of hickory. 



Memphis. 



A better demand and increasing firmness are 

 the characteristics of the hardwood lumber 

 market in the Memphis territory. Consumers 

 are beginning to show more interest in securing 

 their requirements for the fall and winter and, 

 with hardwood lumber so scarce in stock ready 

 lor immediate shipment, it is anticipated that 

 there will he a lively demand during the next 

 sixty days. And it is generally conceded that 

 there is nothing to cause the price to give way 

 even temporarily. On the other hand the feel- 

 ing is gaining ground that there may be further 

 appreciation in values. The influences bearing 

 <n: hardwood consumption are very favorable at 

 this time and hardwood interests believe that 

 this means much for tliem. Stocks here are as 

 badly broken as they have been at any time 

 this season and, although production is Increas- 

 ing gradually, there is little likelihood that 

 there will be a return to anything even approxi- 

 mating normal holdings within the next four or 

 Ave months even if weather conditions should 

 prove better than usual. 



Ash is exceptionally strong. It is much 

 wanted in all grades and thicknesses, with the 

 result that prices are very firm. 



Plain oak continues an excellent .seller In all 

 grades, there being marked improvement in the 

 demand for No, 1 common. There is no surplus 

 of any grade, either red or white, and manu- 

 facturers are asking full prices for what they 

 have for sale. Quartered oak is attracting more 

 favorable mention in white firsts and seconds, 

 though there is no great demand for the lower 

 grades of white. .\ll grades of red are rather 

 slow, but manufacturers continue to adhere to 

 the belief that there will be a good demand 

 even for the quartered red, and are quietly 

 biding their time. There is no great amount of 

 either red or white in quartered stock and this 

 is regarded as a helpful influence. 



Cypress is a good seller in all grades. There 

 is more of the lower grades available than of 

 the higher, but there is proportionately more 

 call for the former, with the result that prices 

 thereon are well maintained. 



Cottonwood is in good call. This is particu- 

 larly true of the box grades which are much 

 sought by box interests. The supply is far 



