HARDWOOD RECORD 



33 



below normal for this time ol: the yeai' and 

 with the small cut of the spring and summer 

 the outlook is for a continued shortage, with a 

 consequent good demand and iirm prices. There 

 is very little in Cottonwood hox boards for sale 

 and the market thereon is very firm. Wide 

 firsts and seconds are in good request and there 

 is likewise a very satisfactory call for the nar- 

 rower widths of the higher grades. 



Gum is maintaining its recent pace without 

 difBcuIty. It is developing that there is no 

 great amount of gum lumber for sale in any 

 grade and manufacturers are having very little 

 trouble in disposing of well-liandled stock at 

 very satisfactory prices. Clear saps are perhaps 

 slower than anything in the gum line. Prices 

 obtained for gum are considered excellent in 

 view of tlie tigiu'es which have prevailed on 

 this .lumber during the past few years. Poplar 

 is without special feature, there being a mod- 

 erate demand at very satisfactory prices. 



winter. There is an increased movement of Wis- 

 consin hardwoods to the eastern and middle 

 states this year, and trade in those parts is lar- 

 ger than it has been for a number ot years. 



New Orleans. 



Thf hardwooii market here is good considering 

 the season, and indications are that many of the 

 undesirable conditions which have prevailed here 

 recently are becoming extinct. The mills are cut- 

 ting considerable timber and stocks are being 

 replenished. Exports continne fair and prices 

 :n-(^ gfiod. Buyers are not especially active, but 

 if is expected that tliey will begin to be very 

 much in evidence within the next sixty daj'S. 



Louisville. 



August is the vacafi(Ui UKUith in the Louis- 

 ville territory and trading in lumber is usually 

 a little slow. Mill nnui in this territory are 

 striving to get their ordiu- books cleaned up and 

 get a little lumber on sticks to take care of the 

 fall demand. What they want now is lumber 

 and orders later on. because they do not see 

 any chance for prices to ease off. while they do 

 see some chances for them to become better sup- 

 plied for the brisk fall trade anticipated. There 

 is r|uito a volume of Imsiness being done in 

 small orders, and the whole situation is so s,at- 

 isfacfory to the millmen that they are taking 

 iliings easier as far as the market is concerned 

 than ever before at this season. 



Present conditions point strongly toward an 

 unusual stir in gum this fall. Oum has not 

 kept step with the other hardwoods during the 

 summer and buyers have not apparently been 

 so anxious for it. but wlien the box manufac- 

 turers, the furniture people and other users of 

 common gum get to looking aro\ind for their 

 winter and spring supplies tliey will likely find 

 that they need more gum than usual. The box 

 trade has been unusually busy this summer, and 

 from this source the requirements will undoubt- 

 edly be large. Added to this is the scarcity of 

 low grade poplar and cottonwood, so that it 

 looks as if buyers will be forced to seek more 

 gum than usual. Poplar and chestnut are about 

 the stiffest items on the liardwood list here, but 

 everything continues in good shape and the mill- 

 men say there is no cause for complaint fm any 

 score. 



Rhinelander. 



Trade in hardwoods is moving along at a ver.v 

 fair rate considering the hot weather. Some 

 dealers report business quiet, while others have all 

 they can handle. Rirch is the staple here, and 

 firsts and seconds have been and are still bring- 

 ing good prices, but Xo. 1 common is dull and 

 not bringing what it is intrinsically worth. 



There is some demand for hard and soft 

 maple. Bassvvood is selling well in the lower 

 grades, but not so in No. 1 common and better. 

 Two montlis ago basswood was the heaviest sel- 

 ler in this locality, but it has dropped to second 

 place now. Birch is the leader and promises to 

 continue so for the rest of the year. Soft elm is 

 moving to some extent, but at rather low prices. 

 Ash is strong, but not plentiful. Rock elm is 

 scarce. Certain manufacturers and jobbers prac- 

 tically cornered the market on this wood last 



Minneapolis. 



There is an activity in hardwood that is 

 really phenomenal in view of the extreme hot 

 weatiier of tlie past few days. It does not seem 

 to have stagnated the hardwood trade. Tlie 

 actual movement is not heavy, though it Is 

 better than usual at this season. The feature 

 of the market is the brisk inquiry for large 

 stocks tor fail and winter delivery. The fac- 

 tories generally have had a busy summer and 

 have worked up a large amount of hardwood. 

 Tiiey have not l)ought to keep pace witti con- 

 sumption and have allowed their stocks to run 

 low. The factory managers understand that 

 there is a very limited stock in all hardwoods 

 but birch and basswood, and so they are getting 

 into the ring early. The buying movement that 

 IS usuall.v opened along in September is under 

 way to a large extent now. The biggest rush 

 is for oak. Northern stocks are closed out, and 

 no longer in the market. There has been a 

 lively business in southern oak, and the mills 

 which look for business in this territory report 

 that they now have about all they can take 

 care of. 



There is no disposition on the part of the 

 mills to rush business. Tliey are satisfied that 

 their stock can be disposed of at present prices 

 or better. Tliere is no surplus oak, ash or rock 

 elm in sight and at the rate maple flooring has 

 been going it will be well cleaned up also. The 

 retail yard trade is taking a great deal of 

 flooring as well as wagon stock, and this busi- 

 ness is sure to hold up well during tiie fall, on 

 account of the good crojjs and the prosperity 

 that is prevalent in all the farming communities 

 of the Northwest. 



Basswood is going better tills year. Low- 

 grade boards sell themselves and there is a good 

 demand from factory users for upper grades. 

 There is also a better movement In birch, and 

 although stocks are plentiful in the Northwest 

 it looks as though all the birch would be 

 needed. Low-grade stock is now largely used 

 instead of pine or liemlock for grain doors, and 

 this demand cleans it up close. The sash and 

 door industry is using more birch every year 

 for interior finish, because of the scarcity of 

 oak, and the consumption of birch this summer 

 has been heavy. Buying is not lively just now 

 because the trade knows there is iilenty ( f liii-ch 

 to lie had when wanted. 



Liverpool, 



Considrralilf regret has been felt at (he death 

 of Arthur f'rckss of the firm of Robert Coltart & 

 Co. Aug. 7, at the early age of 49 years. De- 

 ceased had paid many visits to the United States 

 and' must have been a well-known figure to a 

 large number of American shippers. He will be 

 much missed here, for a more straightforward 

 gentleman it would be diflicult to find. 



Trade has been very quiet during the last 

 week. Those who are not actually on holiday 

 trips are talking aliout them, and nobody seems 

 much inclined toward business. The mahogany 

 sale yards bear an extraordinary appearance 

 just now. Almost all the wood sold at the last 

 sales has been removed, which of course means 

 that the wood is going into consumption, and 

 the yards are practically bare of good stock. 

 Prices will inevitably rise considerably in the 

 next few months. 



Four or five cars ot wagon oak planks have 

 arrived on consignment for different brokers. On 

 these cars ihey will no doubt get good prices, 

 but it seems extreme folly to ship on consign- 

 ment, as tills only tends to lower the price, as is 

 well known. I-'rom this side it is strongly ad- 

 vised that orders should be obtained before ship- 

 ping, and that American shippers should not be 

 led by brokers who promise excellent prices which 

 they have little prospect of obtaining. Ash 



planks continue firm in price, but it is doubtful 

 wliether many can be sold at present values. It 

 would pay shi])pers best to fulfil the orders they 

 have on hand and then to lirmly decline to ship 

 any planks until they have an order. It would 

 pay, as they would surely get the order. Long 

 ash 21 feet and up would obtain a good price. 

 Quartered and plain oak boards find a fiuick sale 

 at good prices. Hickory is also liack at its old 

 figure. Birch is improving now that i lie import 

 of logs has almost finished. 



Under date of August 1. .Vlfred Ilobell & Co.'s 

 timber report says that considering the restrict- 

 ing elfect of high prices conditions generally may 

 he said to he satisfactory. Supplies have come 

 forward during the past month on a fairly 

 liberal scale: stocks generally are nindeiale and 

 prices fairly steady. 



Arrivals of round sunt hern wood in nnl; have 

 been moderate, and prices remain firm. I'.alll- 

 more waney logs are in demand and parcels of 

 tirime fresh logs of good specifications would 

 find a ready sale. Oak wagon planks are in 

 active demand: the arrivals whicli have been 

 heavy and chiefly under contract have gone 

 freely into consumption. Only coffin planks of 

 good specifications can be sure ot a market, as 

 stocks of medium and inferior grades are too 

 heavy now. Walnut logs of good size and 

 excellent specifications are in reiiuest and bring 

 satisfactory prices ; arrivals of planks and 

 boards have been moderate aud prices are firm. 

 The import of whitewood logs has been consid- 

 erable, and prices are lower. Stocks of white- 

 wood planks and boards are heavy, especially in 

 the inferior grades, with the demand only fair. 

 Ash and hickory logs have arrived heavily and 

 as the shipping season has passed parcels have 

 either been forced off the market at very low 

 prices or stored for shippers" account. Recent 

 auction sales of mahogany were well attended, 

 and nearly all the wood offered was sold at full 

 prices. Stocks are low in most varieties. 



London. 



At this time nf 1 he year liuyers aud sellers 

 are holiday making aud business is quiet. There 

 is very little change to note at the moment, 

 e.xcept that buyers are a little more inclined to 

 meet shippers' ideas of prices, as they find 

 that stocks on the docks are not heavy and their 

 requirements are diflicult to find. Those buyers 

 who held off filling their orders for cheaper 

 prices are now buying as small as possible. 



Satin walnut is in good demand at fair prices, 

 and arrivals are small. Walnut arrives slowly 

 and if of fair quality realizes good prices. Only 

 prime veneer logs are wanted. Oak is steady, 

 at fair prices. Whitewood — the large stock of 

 planks which has been held here for some time 

 having gone into consumption, buyers are con- 

 tracting for fresh arrivals. Mahogany is very 

 firm, although there is little business passing. 



Churchill & Sim's wood circular of recent date 

 states that trade during July may be considered 

 satisfactory on the whole, in that buyers gen- 

 erally have confidence enough in the future to 

 contract for their fall requirements at the higher 

 range of prices now prevailing. This does not 

 apply to the Ixmdon trade which still is far 

 behind that of lOOo. London merchants have 

 done a smaller business than usual, but on the 

 whole trade has been sounder and more remun- 

 erative than in some years of big figures. In 

 American black walnut, the circular states, 

 logs, if large and prime, would realize good 

 prices, but small rough wood should not be 

 sent : planks and boards are in active request 

 and stocks are low. Only small lots of large 

 and prime whitewood logs are needed to fill the 

 requirements of the market: there is a suf- 

 ficiency of planks but planed boards, under one 

 inch in thickness, are wanted. Arrivals of 

 mahogany have been very light for some time 

 past, and the market is in an exceptional posi- 

 tion, there being not a single entire cargo of 

 mahogany unsold: imports therefore would ar- 

 rive at a welcoming market. 



