840 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVII. No. 961 



National Geological Survey, amounted to 

 $1,918,326,253, of whicli $672,179,600 were for 

 metallic and $1,245,896,653 were for non- 

 metallic, with a value of $250,000 for ma- 

 terials not differentiated. 



The table here given shows the relative 

 values of some of the important mineral prod- 

 ucts common to Canada and this country. 

 In those given Canada surpasses the United 

 States in the value of its products only in 

 nickel; but a few decades will doubtless see a 

 great change in the relative values of the 

 arsenic, asbestos (chrysotile), corundum and 

 products of the two countries. 



Canada United States 



Metallic Value Value 



Pig iron $12,307,125 $327,334,624 



Silver 17,355,272 32,615,700 



Gold 9,781,077 96,890,000 



Copper 6,886,998 137,154,092 



Lead 827,717 36,553,320 



Zinc 101,072 30,964,794 



Nickel 10,229,623 127,000 



Non-metallic 



Coal 26,467,646 626,366,876 



Natural gas 1,917,678 74,127,534 



Petroleum 357,073 134,044,752 



Peat 3,817 272,114 



Clay products 8,359,933 162,236,181 



Cement 7,644,537 66,705,136 



Gypsum 993,394 6,462,035 



Lime 1,517,599 13,689,054 



Sand-lime-brick 442,427 897,664 



Slate 8,248 5,728,019 



Stone 4,428,757 77,108,567 



Corundum and emery . 161,873 6,778 



Grindstones 52,942 907,316 



Arsenious oxide 76,237 73,408 



Phosphate rock 5,206 11,900,693 



Pyrite 365,820 1,164,871 



Asbestos 2,922,062 119,935 



Mica 128,677 355,704 



Mineral waters 223,758 6,837,888 



Graphite 69,576 288,465 



Salt 443,004 8,345,692 



Talc 22,100 1,646,018 



The mineral statistics were first collected 

 for Canada in 1886, in which year the total 

 value was $10,221,255, since which time the 

 values have in general increased up to 1910, 

 when they were $106,823,623 or the maximum. 



The falling off in 1911 is attributed to the 

 prolonged strike of the coal miners in the 

 Province of Alberta and the Crowsnest dis- 

 trict of British Columbia, as the resulting 

 scarcity of coal and coke in those provinces 

 seriously interfered with the smelting opera- 

 tions. 



A matter of practical value to the United 

 States is the question of the mineral exports 

 and imports of the Canadian provinces. The 

 total value of the exports of mine products 

 and the manufactures thereof was $52,546,593, 

 of which $11,424,906 was for manufactures. 

 Nearly all of the Canadian copper, nickel and 

 silver are exported, as are a large part of the 

 gold, asbestos and mica. The manufactures 

 of mine products exported are chiefly iron and 

 steel goods, aluminum, calcium carbide, lime, 

 acetate of lime and coke. Of the exports 

 $33,129,505 were sent into the United States; to 

 the United Kingdom $6,726,015; while the 

 nest largest amount was to Newfoundland 

 and Labrador, $580,632. 



The imports into Canada of mineral prod- 

 ucts, chiefly in a manufactured or semi-manu- 

 factured condition, were in 1911 valued at 

 $181,839,077. Of these imports iron and steel 

 and the manufactures thereof amounted to 

 $93,000,000; coal, ores, diamonds (unset) and 

 bort, asphaltum, alumina, clays, etc., equaled 

 $48,000,000; copper, gold, silver, lead, plati- 

 num, tin and zinc reached $18,750,000; while 

 petroleum and clay products exceeded $11,- 

 000,000. 



In view of the above facts the following 

 excerpt from the report is of interest : 



The great excess of imports over exports would 

 seem to indicate the existence of large opportuni- 

 ties for the development not only of Canada's 

 mineral production, but also of many manufac- 

 turing industries which utilize mine products as 

 raw materials. The fact, however, must not be 

 overlooked that the geographical situation of Can- 

 ada and the United States, separated by an 

 imaginary barrier 3,000 miles in length, evidently 

 results, notwithstanding the tariffs on both sides, 

 in a mutually advantageous interchange of trade. 

 Then we find large exports as well as imports of 

 coal and of agricultural implements. The con- 



