56 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



it anything. Dry lumber is not in large supply. 

 Those manufacturers who had large stocks dur- 

 ing the quiet months and who did not try to 

 force business at the low prices now are beinp; 

 approached in some cases by other manufacturers 

 for lumber to fill quick delivery orders. One 

 dealer in this market has had au opportunity to 

 sell about 3.000.000 feet of dry lumber to an- 

 other manufacturer, but has refused, as h3 wants 

 the stock for his own trade. Thick stock in good 

 shipping condition is in small supply. The piano 

 trade is moderately active, although in a few- 

 cases trade holds up well. One local manufac- 

 turer is running to full capacity in all depart- 

 ments, but he has not been a large buyer of 

 hardwoods for some time. General demand has 

 been rather quiet this month, although some 

 have placed orders for delivery after the turn of 

 the year. Manufacturers of house finish are all 

 fairly busy. Furniture manufacturers have had 

 a good fall business and anticipate good times 

 to come. Veneers have been in better demand, 

 and mahogany stock has attracted considerably 

 more attention. The outlook for mahogany is 

 toward a firmer and higher level. The offerings 

 are below normal, and advance in logs is an- 

 ticipated. 



The market for Quartered oak is firm. .South- 

 ern stock is quoted at $85 to $88 and Indiana 

 oak at $88 to $90 for one-inch ones and twos. 

 Demand is moderate and offerings are reported 

 ns light. Plain oak is firm. Ash and maple 

 are in moderate call at present. Trading in 

 cherry has not been large of late. Walnut is in 

 a little more inquiry in some instances, and 

 prices are firmly maintained. Offerings of the 

 better grades are very small. Cypress is firm 

 and in fair request. 



incentive to shipments. So far the foreign busi- 

 ness in oak planks has been far from active, 

 but the outlook is promising, while the other 

 divisions of the trade are greatly improved. 



In the domestic market poplar still heads the 

 list with respect to activity, but all other woods 

 share in the advance, and there is every pros- 

 pect that 1910 will effect a complete restoration. 

 Baltimore wholesalers report a better demand 

 in the Middle West than in the East. 



BALTIMORE 



The year is drawing to a close with all the 

 hardwoods in good shape. Just now quiet pre- 

 vails and this state will continue until after the 

 holidays. 



Hardwood men have ample reason to view the 

 expiring year with satisfaction. They have 

 made decided gains over 1908 and in some in- 

 stances even the figures for 1907 have been 

 exceeded, both as to value and volume. For 

 months progress was slow, but graduall.y the 

 forward movement became pronounced and for 

 the past few months the activity has been ad- 

 mitted even by the most conservative. Since 

 October a car shortage has interfered with ship- 

 ments. Some mills have been unable to get 

 cars for weeks and much delay has been experi- 

 enced. Nevertheless the exceptionally fine 

 weather has aided distrib\ition. Roads that in 

 other years were deep in mud remained in goo.l 

 condition for a month or sis weeks longer than 

 usual, and hauling was expedited to such an 

 extent that stocks wore fairly well cleaned up. 



The growing domestic demand, which boosted 

 values, had the effect of curtailing shipments 

 abroad. A reduction of stocks followed, with 

 the result that an advance in prices has taken 

 place and at this time the foreign situation is 

 more promising than it has been at any previous 

 period of the current year. In anticipation of 

 the requirements of the foreign market exporters 

 have been placing liberal orders of late. The 

 situation, especially in wagon oak planks at Liv- 

 erpool, reached the stage of actual demoraliza- 

 tion and shippers added to their losses by reason 

 of the practice resorted to among buyers of 

 rejecting numerous planks as under grade, on 

 which they insisted upon heavy reductions. The 

 arbitrary procedure, whereby the buyers sought 

 to obtain No. 1 and No. 2 at the price of com- 

 mon, served to work a cure of the situation by 

 leason of its drastic character. Exporters were 

 compelled to stop making shipments and the 

 process of recovery was further assisted by the 

 action of brokers refusing to make the liberal 

 advances on forwardings which had been a strong 



CHARLOTTE 



The close of the year finds conditions all that 

 lumbermen could expect. This time last year 

 many of the mills in the Carolinas were closed 

 down becausie prices were so low and demand 

 so weak that operations could be carried on 

 only at a loss. Today lumber mills are running 

 full time with full forces. 



Orders are coming in freely and there is every 

 prospect that present activity will be continued 

 through the rest of the winter and spring. 

 Woods work is going along at a lively pace. 

 Prices on all grades of lumber have stiffened 

 materially during the past few months. This 

 has been reflected in manufactured products, and 

 the first of the year will witness an increase of 

 ten per cent on all grades of furniture manu- 

 factured in the Carolinas. 



Lumbermen have all the business they can 

 handle, and both local and foreign demand are 

 active. Prospects for 1910 are very bright. 



to strengthen. Manufacturers and shippers re- 

 port that the holiday season has had less effect 

 on the market than ever before, and that busi- 

 ness has bsen excellent right up to the present 

 time. Many of the larger concerns will keep 

 a part of their traveling force in the field 

 between Christmas and New Year. 



Prices are strong under better demand and 

 more inquiries. Shippers unite in the statement 

 that orders are coming in very satisfactorily and 

 that the prospects for next year's business are 

 very bright. Concessions are now a thing of 

 the past, and In some grades where a marked 

 scarcity exists, premiums are the rule at this 

 time. Slight advances have been reported, espe- 

 cially in the higher grades, and the entire list is 

 higher than it has been for months. A number 

 of mills have withdrawn their stocks from the 

 market to wait until after the first of the year, 

 when higher prices are anticipated. This has 

 caused prices to advance in certain sections. The 

 lower grades are in fair demand and the move- 

 ment is quite uniform. The car situation has 

 improved, but lumbermen believe that the relief 

 is only temporary and that a more acute short- 

 age will be felt after the first of the year. 



Plain and quartered oak continue strong, and 

 the supply appears to be limited. Prices are 

 strong. Chestnut is in good demand at steady 

 prices. .\sb is also strengthening. Poplar prices 

 are still high and the latest quotation on wide 

 sizes is $140 per thousand. Other sizes ari- 

 quoted at the usual figures. Other hardwoods 

 are strong. 



NORFOLK 



Lumbermen generally in this city are opti- 

 mistic in regard to tite business outlook. Prices 

 of higher grade lumber show an advance of $1 

 a thousand over thirty days ago. and stocks of 

 high-grade lumber are scarce. The low grades 

 still move rather slowly, and little improvement 

 is looked for in this direction until prices on 

 the upper grades advance still more. 



One of the features of the market is the 

 strong demand for good poplar and red and 

 white plain oak. Firsts and seconds ash show 

 au advance of $1 a thousand. Basswood and 

 birch are in good demand with no change in 

 prices. Chestnut is in good call and No. 1 

 common has been slightly advanced. Prices on 

 cypress are unchanged, and the demand is 

 active. White and red quartered oak is in 

 good call with prices stationary. Plain oak is 

 active and shows an advance of $2 : common 

 is strong at unchanged values and there is some 

 improvement uoted in the market for low-grade 

 oak. although prices remain the same. Dry 

 stocks of good poplar are scarce, and the de- 

 mand is strong ; prices have advanced from $1 

 to $2 per thousand feet. Local lumbermen be- 

 lieve that prices will be higher after January 1. 



CLEVELAND 



Business among the hardwcnid dealers in Ibis 

 locality during the past month has been unusual- 

 ly brisk, though it is not anticipated that the 

 holiday trade will amount to much. 



The low condition of stocks in many of the 

 local and suburban yards has provided a lot 

 of business during the past fall. Manufacturing 

 concerns are again in full swing and there is an 

 active demand for all kinds of merchantable 

 hardwoods. Oak seems to be in best demand, 

 the quartered stock being unusually firm. Pop- 

 lar is so scarce that it is selling at better prices 

 and promises to soar again next year as it did 

 in 1907. 



COLUMBUS 



CINCINNATI 



The tendency of the bardwoi.d market in cen- 

 tral Ohio during the past fortnight has been 



At the close of the year there is a satisfactory 

 feeling among the hardwood fraternity of the 

 Queen City over the year's business. At the 

 opening of 1909 a spirit of optimism was mani- 

 fest, and on all sides predictions were made 

 that the year would show a vast improvement 

 over 1908. While the business of the year has 

 been generally good, there were months that 

 were poor, especially during the summer. The 

 fall business was excellent. As compared with 

 December. 1908. this month showed up favor- 

 ably. Just now the general theme of interest 

 is the prospect for 1910. Indications are that 

 1910 will be a record year in hardwood. Reports 

 from consumers of hardwoods and the numerous 

 inquiries received lead to the conclusion that, 

 unless some unforeseen catastrophe should para- 

 lyze trade, the business of the coming year will 

 be phenomenal. The impression is general that 

 prices on hardwoods are too low, and there seems 

 to be an almost unanimous sentiment that ad- 

 vances will be made all along the line. 



A review of the condition of the stocks in 

 this section shows that there is not sufficient 

 quarter-sawed oak in sight or available to meet 

 a heavy demand. Select figured stuff of quarter- 

 sawed white is scarce, with plain white oak in 

 not much more abundant supply. Red oak, in 

 both quarter-sawed and plain, is in fairly good 

 supply, with a steadily increasing demand. 

 Chestnut is in good supply in ordinary lengths, 

 but not in lengths of twelve feet and over, which 

 are in strong demand for the eastern building 

 trade. Sound wormy and lower grades are equal 

 to the demands of the market. 



There are heavy stocks of low-grade lumber, 

 especially in poplar, with a good supply of oak, 

 basswood and buckeye. But there is a confident 

 feeling that the coming year will see every 

 stick of low-grade lumber disposed of and the 

 yards well cleaned up. 



Ash is in good supply, especially for wagon 

 and carriage makers' stock, while furniture 

 grades are fully equal to the wants of the mar- 

 ket. Hickory is plentiful, the stocks having 

 steadily increased during the past two years. 

 There is a good supply of hickory stock for 

 spoki-. shaft and pole manufacturers and wheel 



