The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1904-07-27
AS TO cHIrrIM.

AS TO cHIrTIM.
Prices. Present and Future Wailiug
for Boom Figures Will They
I Come?
In the Corvallis market, the set
tied Yrice of Cascara bark. for the
present, is 81 cents per pound.
How long the bark viii remain at
that figure. and whether, when it
changes, it will go loWer or higher.
are questions nobody seems able to
answer. Many peelers and owners
of bark would like to have the
problem of future prices foretold.
Some of them have tons of the
product. and change of a single
cent for the better or for the worse,
means dollars and dollars to them.
The skyrocket prices of last syear
are still green memory with them.
Some of them last year lost zlarge
sums of money, by selling toossoon.
Others made little fortunes for the
first time in their lives. by hold
ing long enough to catch the big
figures The hope that a second
boom in bark prices may come
again this year and the desire to
get the most possible out of it, puts
the peelers on the ragged edge of
uncertainty, where they will stay
until another boom comes, or un-
til the season ends.
Only small lots Of bark are being
sold at the lower figures of the
present. A peeler in need of sup
plies or cash, occasionally sells a
load or ton. or fraction sof eth
er. to meet necessities. OCCASIONAL
1y smaller holder sells his entire
stock, partly for the same treason,
and partly in the belief that no bet
ter figure is to be expected. The
total of these sales makes BUT g
small portion of what sales havesag.
gregated at the same time in form
er seasons.
No local dealer believes that there
will be this year repetition of ths
frework prices of last season. There
is not bit of doubt on that point
It is not believed that any of then
are buying and holding for ris
According to their accounts. no les
than oS cars of chittim were ship
ped East from the Northwest chit
tim forests last year. According Il
the same authority, but fifty car
! of the bark are consumed in tn
4 United States in year. At tha
rate, the shipment last season wa
sufficient to meet the requirement
of the patent medicine men an,
chemists for two years. Added t.
this, it is reported that the forest
of western Washington willyie1dthi
year an enormous quantity of bark
One authority estimates that thi
4 yield will pass into hundreds of car
loads The supply there is said t
be so great. that peelers and m; ddle
men are stlling bark freely at 81
cents, delivered fee on board tn
cars at railroad points. 1t is ais
asserted that in many instances, tn
patent medicine houses are buyin
!, the bark direct at these figures, an
not of big commission men an
brokers as was formerly the case
: The statement is that one big an
well known patent medicine an
: drug co Germ that paid IS cents pc
pound for bark last year when t
/, bark scare was on. is now buyin
l bark direct at prevailing price
l Whether in view of the above. al
| other boom in bark may be expec
t ed this season is a question that
: shrouded over with doubt. It
Y possible that there are rigns an
conditions that point in an opposi
: direction, but il there are, dea1el
i, seem to be uninformed OF them.
+ In view of the present market
r and its signs and prognostication
it is understood that a great nsn
peelers will not sell for the presen
! Many of them hold that if hig
+ prices do not come this year tn;
5 they may be expected in anoth'
season. They say the bark increa
q es not only in medicinal value b,
2 in financial value with age, and fl
e these reasons many of them propos
n if the price does not go TO TO cen
5 or better, to hold their stock
Some, it is said, will not this yes
r peel all the bark they could peel
: they wanted to. but becau se of pr
$ sent prices and prospects will let
: remain on the trees. where it W:
= give greater yield when peeled
- the future.