Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-07-28
CHITTIM
BARK
MARKET
Prices Are Not Expected TO
Reach Last Years
Mark

In the Corvallis market, the settled
price of Cascara bark, for the present,
is 81 cents per pound says the Cor
wallis Times. How long the bark will
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 pro
duct, and a change of a single cent
for the better or worse means dollars
and dollars to them. The skyrocket
prices of last year are still green in
memory with them Some of them
last year lost large sums of money,
by selling too soon. Others made lit.
tie fortunes for the first time in their
lives, by holding 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 un.
certainty, where they will stay until
another boom comes, or until the sea
son ends.
Only small lots of the bark are be.
ing sold at the lower figures of the
present. A peeler in need of supplies
or cash, occasionally sells a load or a
ton, or a fraction of either. to meet
necessities. Occasionally a small
holder sells his entire stock, partly
for the same reason, and partly in the
belief that no better figure is to be ex.
pected. The total of the sales makes
but a small portion of what sales
have aggregated at the same time in
former seasons.
No local dealer believes that there
will be this year repetition of the
frework prices of last season. There
is not a bit of doubt on that point. It
is not believed that any of them are
buying and holding for rise. Accord
ing to their accounts no less than %
cars Of chittim were shipped East
from the Northwest chittim forests
last year. According to the same All.
thority, about so cars of the bark are
consumed in the United States in
year At that rate, the shipment last
season was sufficient to meet the re.
quirements of the patent medicine
men and chemists for two years Add.
ed to this, it is reported that the for.
ests of Western Washington will yield
this year an enormous quantity of
bark, One authority estimates that
this yield will pass into hundreds of
carloads The supply there is said 10
be so great that peelers and middle.
men are selling freely at 5h cents
delivered free on board the cars AT
railroad points 1t Is also asserted
that in many instances, the patent
medicine houses are buying the bark
direct at these figures. and not of bie
commission men and brokers. as was
formerly the case. The statement Is
that one big and well-known patent
medicine and drug concern that maid
Is cents per pound for bark last wear
when the bark scare was on. Is now
buying bark direct at preyailinq
prices. Whether in view of the above
another boom in bark may be az. |
pected this season is a question that
is shTouIed over with doubt It Is |
possible that there are signs and
conditions that point in an opposita
direction, but il there are dealers
seem to be uniformed of them
In view of the present markets and
Its signs and prognostlcations il 10 |
understood that great many peelers
Will not sell for the present MANY NJ
them hold that if high prices do NOT
come this year that they may be ok !
pected in another season. They say
the bark not only increases in mal |
icinal value but in financial yalue VIII, |
age, and for these reasons many of
them propose, II the price does NOT 90
To 10 cents or better. to hold their
stocks Some II is said. will no, this |
year peel all the bark they could peel |