HARDWOOD RECORD 



63 



have been placed it beyond the reach of the 

 ordinary individual. 



While good basswood is in very good de- 

 mand and prices all that could be expected, 

 the lower grades are still pretty unsteady. 



Walnut shows the usual healthy condition, 

 the best grades bringing from $S5 to $95, de- 

 pending on the stock. No. 1 common is worth 

 from $40 to $50; No. 2 common from $20 to $L'5. 

 Stocks are fairly plentiful. 



Three-inch first and second maple is sell- 

 ing locally as high as $40; one-inch stock 

 showing a commensurate value of $33. While 

 the demand is excellent, thus far there has 

 been no difficulty encountered in filling orders. 



The elm market shows no appreciable 

 change, quotations for the last month remain- 

 ing in effect. 



The first four grades of cypress are selling 

 for $45, $40, $30 and $JJ. 



The opening spring building trade has 

 boomed the hardwood flooring business to a 

 considerable extent, prices being favorable 

 and orders excellent. 



tried to pick up some black ash here the other 

 (lay says he could find but very little. 



NEW YORK 



The hardwood market at New York shows a 

 much better tone all along the line with the 

 opening of spring. There is more activity noted 

 among the retail mill work dealers, many of 

 whom report a better trade for the year thus 

 far than they enjoyed even in the late summer 

 months, and the general feeling prevails that 

 the spring season will produce a large amount 

 of desirable business in all consuming lines. 

 This activity on the part of buyers and con- 

 sumers is being reflected in the wholesale mar- 

 ket, and hardwood stocks of all kinds are mov- 

 ing more freely in all branches of the trade. 

 The chief difficulty which seems likely to con- 

 cern the spring trade will be in the matter of 

 supplies, particularly good-grade lumber. Stocks 

 are short at mill points which with the large 

 increase in demand is keeping wholesale buyers 

 scurrying in order to pick up their require- 

 ments, and ^there is no question but what the 

 next sixt.v days will see prices moving up on a 

 higher range of values, especially on good-grade 

 lumber, with a very fair promise of low-grade 

 moving up in sympathy. Taken as a whole, the 

 general situation seems to be very promising 

 for the hardwood trade for the spring and early 

 summer. 



BUFFALO 



The main question with the lumberman is 

 where to get stock enough to meet his sales, 

 'ihis state of things has been true for quite a 

 long time in the straight hardwood trade, but 

 now that other woods have been added it re- 

 mains quite as true. It is easy to push side 

 woods so that they will take the place of cer- 

 tain hardwoods, but they do not always promise 

 to last any more than hardwoods themselves 

 do. One hardwood firm reports that it has sold 

 a million feet of cypress Ihis year and others 

 are going into yellow pine. 



Buying is as brisk as ever. As one of the 

 dealers says, if anyone has any stock he is a 

 very poor salesman if he cannot sell it. In most 

 hardwoods the best market is for common and 

 l)etter, but if one has oak, chestnut, elm, bass- 

 wood or maple he can sell it without much 

 effort. A few of the dealers with southwestern 

 mills behind them are now saying that they 

 have some quartered oak in sight, but others 

 say that there is a prosijoct of chestnut giving 

 cut almost as completely as birch has done, and 

 if it does it is going to be hard for the oak, as 

 chestnut has been put in to replace it a good 

 (leal of late. 



There is a big demand for maple, and white 

 ash is doing d.-cidedly well, but a dealer who 



PHILADELPHIA 



The first part of February showed a falling 

 off in hardwood trading, but of late there has 

 been a manifest improvement, and hardwood 

 dealers are more encouraged over the outlook. 

 However, there is no gainsaying the fact that 

 there has not been the acceleration in the lum- 

 ber business or in business generally that was 

 predicted in the early winter, which nonfulfill- 

 ment of promise to a wide extent is the result of 

 the fretpient storms, which have naturally inter- 

 fered with prompt shipments. Kail roads have 

 been blocked and, in consequence, the unloading 

 and transportation of merchandise has been ac- 

 complished only at an exceedingly advanced 

 cost ; in many instances a cancellation has been 

 unavoidable, or at best a most undesirable delay 

 in deliveries. 



The hardwood end of lumber on account of the 

 scarcity of stock at the mill centers has held 

 firm prices, and orders are coming along more 

 freel.v. The strikes in Philadelphia and in the 

 near territory have hampered in no small degree 

 and naturally had a disquieting effect upon the 

 industries generally. 



PITTSBURQ 



If the hardwood business docs not show a big 

 gain in the next thirty days, every wholesaler 

 in Pittsburg will be greatly disappointed. A 

 gain was expected in February. No doubt it 

 would have materialized had it not b(X>n for the 

 e.^ctreme cold weather, the shaky condition of 

 Wall street and threatened labor troubles. The 

 Hist objection is now removed. The second is 

 fast disappearing and the third, while still pres- 

 ent, is not likely to seriously affect this district 

 in the light of present prospects. On the other 

 hand, conditions are steadily shaping themselves 

 now for a good spring trade in hardwood. 

 Building projects which have been on the boards 

 for months ar.; beginning to be let. Retail 

 yards are once more moving stock out to con- 

 tractors and builders. Big jobs of railroad and 

 construction work are being started or resumed 

 and purchasing agents have been ordered to 

 secure quick deliveries of lumber. Inquiries are 

 much improved and there is a general scarcity 

 of stock at the mills. 



Prices of hardwoods have held remarkably 

 steady considering the unfavorable conditions 

 which the market had to compete with. In fact, 

 there have been no reductions. In several lines, 

 such as white oak, hickory, ash and walnut, 

 higher prices have been paid during the past 

 six weeks than for two years previous. Stocks 

 of these woods have been at practically low 

 point for the past twelve months and shrewd 

 buyers are coming into the market with all 

 speed to corner any good lumber which can be 

 secured for early spring delivery. It will take 

 many of the country hardwood mills from sixty 

 to ninety days to get square with their ship- 

 ments already ordered and this will help to put 

 a bulge on prices in .Vpril aud May. 



BOSTON 



The feature of the hardwood market continues 

 to be the strength displayed in all sections of 

 the country, and this without an active demand. 

 Just an ordinary business is all that can be re- 

 I>orted with possibly a few exceptions. No manu- 

 facturer is trying very hard to force business. 

 Buyers admit the strength of values and state 

 they cannot buy on as favorable terms in some 

 cases as they could a few weeks ago. Altliough 

 the general demand is not heavy at present, most 

 dealers entertain cheerful views of the future. 

 They believe the spring business will be satisfac- 



tory, even with prices high. The lower grades 

 cf hardwoods are coming in for more attention. 

 Uetailcrs in this section are carrying moderate- 

 sized stocks and offerings of dry lumber are not 

 largo. Automobile manufacturers are busy. A 

 report from one of the largest makers shows 

 their product for 11)11 is practically sold at 

 this time and another company plans to produce 

 a thousand cars a month for the next year. 

 Many mills have been handicapped for several 

 weeks by the weather. Veneers are in better 

 demand, with offerings of fair size. 



A very firm market is reported for quartered 

 oak and prices are higher. A leading wholesale 

 di^aler stated this week that it is not safe to 

 take an order unless one owns the lumber, as it 

 is very difficult to find mills in a position to ac- 

 cept prompt delivery orders. Plain oak is also 

 very firmly held, with stocks far from burden- 

 some. Maple flooring continues firm at the re- 

 cent advance and prices tend upward. There 

 has been an excellent export demand. Basswood 

 has been attracting (luite a little attention in 

 this market. There has been no abatement 

 in the strength of the market for cypress. Manu- 

 tacturers continue to insist upon full asking 

 prices, which in many instances show an ad- 

 vance. Whitewood is also well held. Ash and 

 birch are firm. A moderate demand is reportod 

 for North Carolina pine. 



BALTIMORE 



Though developments in the hardwood trade 

 during the past week have not been of special 

 moment, the movement continues to increase 

 steadily aud has now attained a fair volume. 

 The numerous interferences with operations at 

 the mills have restricted the output until it 

 has fallen rather below ordinary proportions, 

 while the demand has been sufliciently active to 

 take up all the stocks offered, the result being 

 that the mill men are enabled to ask and obtain 

 satisfactory prices. With the exception of some 

 eastern points, which salesmen have apparently 

 visited in inordinate number, the trade seems 

 to be in good shape, yardmen buying with con- 

 siderable freedom, and showing a disposition to 

 meet the terms of the manufacturers. Low- 

 grade stocks, say some of the hardwood men, 

 are offering with rather more freedom them is 

 conducive to acceptable returns, but even in this 

 respect the situation is stronger than it was 

 some time ago. 



Of note in the local building world are the pro- 

 posed million dollar hotel in the center of the 

 city and the addition to the Fidelity and Deposit 

 Company's building, which will cost more than a 

 million. These and other structures will con- 

 sumo large quantities of fine hardwoods, and will 

 contribute to the improvement in trade condi- 

 tions to be looked for. The railroads and furni- 

 ture manufacturing establishments are in the 

 market for lumber of all kinds, and the yards 

 are preparing to take care of unusually large 

 wants. Much uncertainty still prevails regard- 

 ing the foreign situation, but the tendency ap- 

 pears to be toward a better demand, with higher 

 prices. From some of the foreign centers large 

 accumulations are reported, while in others the 

 selection is not as free as it should be. At 

 any rate, the foreign buyers show a willingness 

 to forego some of the conditions which they 

 insisted upon very strenuously not so long ago, 

 and exporters have been asked to bid in a 

 number of big orders. In view of all the 

 circumstances the mills feel warranted in push- 

 ing operations as much as possible. It seems 

 now as though there would be room for all the 

 lumber that can be produced. 



CLEVELAND 



The hardwood market here seems to be 

 strengthening considerably, the call for the 

 higher grades especially being better during the 



