8 NliW YORK STATIi MUSEUM 



more than a century ago still held the leading place last year, lliuugh 

 most of its product was not put into marketable form but was con- 

 sumed for the manufacture of soda products. Livingston and 

 Wyoming counties lead in the production of rock and brine salt 

 respectively for the trade. 



The mines and quarries of gypsum contributed an output of 318,- 

 046 short tons, or nearly the same as in 1907 when it amounted to 

 S22„32^ short tons. The value of the different gypsum materials 

 including plaster of paris, wall plaster and gypsum sold in crude 

 condition was $760,759 in 1908 against $751,556 in the preceding 

 year. The gypsum industry has grown remarkably in the last few 

 years, the output of the State having increased nearly tenfold in the 

 decade from 1898. With the inexhaustible supplies afforded by the 

 local deposits and the unrivaled facilities for reaching the principal 

 eastern markets there is every prospect that the production will soon 

 reach even greater proportions. 



The combined value of the petroleum and natural gas produced in 

 the State last year was $3,059,308 against $2,536,349 in 1907. 

 The quantity of petroleum taken from the wells amounted to 1,160,- 

 128 barrels valued at $2,071,533 as compared with 1,052,324 

 barrels valued at $1,736,335 in the preceding year. The natural 

 gas production was valued at $987,775 against $800,014 in 1907 ; 

 the volume of gas amounted to 3,860,000,000 cubic feet against 

 3,052,145,000 in the preceding year. The exhaustion of both the 

 petroleum and natural gas pools does not seem to be imminent, 

 judging from the records of production for recent years. 



A product of which the State has almost a natural monopoly is 

 fibrous talc, which is found in St Lawrence county in extensive 

 deposits and of superior quality. The material is consumed mostly 

 in the paper trade and is shipped to all parts of the country as well 

 as to foreign mills. The output of ground talc last year amounted 

 to 70,739 short tons valued at $697,390 and showed a good gain over 

 the total for 1907 which was reported as 59,000 short tons with a 

 value of $501,500. 



The garnet mines in the Adirondacks were worked last year on 

 a much reduced scale. The output of 2480 short tons valued at 

 $79,890 was less than half that for 1907. when 5709 short tons 

 with a value of $174,800 was reported. The decline may be 

 ascribed to the smaller demand for abrasive materials during the 

 year. 



