June 14, 1889.] 



SCIENCE 



455 



growth of about six weeks, and when gathered should be carefully- 

 cut off with a knife, not broken. 



It is recommended that mushroom-beds should not be finally 

 earthed until the spawn is seen beginning to spread its white fila- 

 ments through the mass ; and should it fail to do this in eight or 

 ten days after spawning, the conditions being favorable, it is better 

 to insert fresh spawn or to remake the bed, adding fresh materials 

 if it be found to fail from being too cold. The temperature of the 

 beds at spawning-time should not exceed 80° F. : 70° F. is con- 

 sidered the most suitable regular temperature. It is advisable not 

 to put the spawn at any uniform depth, but so that while one piece 

 of it may be at a depth of six inches, or nearly so, others may touch 

 the surface. This allows the spawn to vegetate at a depth and 

 temperature most congenial to it. Mushrooms may be cultivated 

 in warm cellars, in boxes about four feet square by eighteen inches 

 in depth, for family use. 



MINERAL PRODUCTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



The sixth report on " The Mineral Resources of the United 

 States," by David T. Day, chief of the division of mining statistics 

 and technology. United States Geological Survey, is to be issued 

 shortly. This report is for the calendar year 1888, and contains 

 detailed statistics for this period, and also for preceding years, to- 

 gether with much descriptive and technical matter. The following 

 are the totals of the production of the more important mineral sub- 

 stances in 1 888 : — 



Metals. 



Iron and Steel. — The principal statistics for 1888 were: do- 

 mestic iron ore consumed, about 12,060,000 long tons; value at 

 mines, §28,944,000. This is an increase over 1887 in quantity of 

 760,000 tons, but a decrease in value of $4,956,000. Imported iron 

 ore consumed, 587,470 long tons ; total iron ore consumed in 1888, 

 about 12,650,000 long tons, or 150,000 tons more than in 1887. 

 Pig-iron made in 1888, 6,489,738 long tons; value at furnace, 

 $107,000,000. This is an increase over 1887 of 72,590 tons in 

 quantity, but a decrease of $14,925,800 in value. Steel of all kinds 

 produced in 1888, 2,899,440 long tons; value at works, $89,000,- 

 000. This is a decrease from 1887 of 439,631 tons in quantity, 

 and of $14,811,000 in value. Total spot value of all iron and steel 

 made in 1888, in the first stage of manufacture, excluding all du- 

 plications, $145,000,000, a decrease of $26,103,000 as compared 

 with 1887. Limestone used as a flux in the manufacture of pig- 

 iron in 1888, about 5,438,000 long tons ; value at quarry, about 

 $2,719,000. 



Gold and Silver. — According to the director of the mint, the 

 gold product was 1,604,937 fine ounces, valued at $33,175,000. 

 This is about the same as in 1887, being an excess of only $75,000. 

 The silver product was 45,783,632 fine ounces, of the commercial 

 value of about $43,000,000, and of the coining value of $59,195,000. 

 This is an increase of 4,515,327 ounces over the product in 1887. 

 In addition to the product of our own mines, some 10,000,000 

 ounces of silver were extracted in the United States from foreign 

 ores and bullion. 



Copper. — The total product, including the yield of imported 

 ores, increased to 231,270,622 pounds, or 115,635 short tons, during 

 1S88, which is 46,053,291 pounds more than the product of 18S7. 

 During the first quarter of 1889 the production was increasing at 

 even a more rapid rate. The prices received by American pro- 

 ducers averaged 15.5 cents per pound for Lake copper, 14.5 

 for Arizona, and 14 for other districts, making the total value 

 $33,833,954. Montana led in the production, making 97,897,968 

 pounds. Consumption was somewhat reduced by the high prices. 



Lead. — The product increased to 180,555 short tons from 

 160,700 tons in 1887. The increase was due principally to the 

 heavier receipts of lead in Mexican silver-lead ores from 15,000 

 tons in 1SS7 to over 27,000 tons in iSSS. The average price in New 

 York was 4.41 cents per pound. The production of white lead, 

 chiefly from pig-lead, was 89.000 short tons, valued at $10,680,000. 

 Zinc. — The erection of new works and the extension of old ones 

 led to a further notable increase in the production of zinc in 188S. 

 The additions to capacity were fairly uniformly distributed in the 



West, East, and South. Production in 1888, 55,903 short tons, 

 with a total value of $5,500,855; in 1887, 50,340 tons, worth 

 $4,782,300. The production of zinc white in 1888, directly from 

 ores, was 20,000 short tons, worth $1,600,000. 



Quicksilver. — The product was 33,250 flasks (of jd], pounds 

 each) from California, a decline in that State of 510 flasks from 

 1887, in spite of a very satisfactory price, which averaged %\2.y:i 

 per flask, making the total value $1,413,125. No new valuable de- 

 posits were discovered in 1888, and without them it is not probable 

 that the yield of quicksilver will increase. 



Nickel. — The industry remains unchanged except for indica- 

 tions of further developments at Lovelock in Nevada, and Riddle 

 in Oregon. The product includes 190,637 pounds of metallic 

 nickel, valued at $1 14,382 at 60 cents per pound, and 4,545 pounds, 

 worth $1,136, exported in ores and matte. Total value, $1 15,518. 

 The corresponding value in 1887 was $133,200. 



Cobalt Oxide. — The total product, including the contents of the 

 exported ores and matte, was 12,266 pounds, worth $18,441. In 

 1887 the total was 18,340 pounds, worth $18,774, the lower rate of 

 value in that year resulting from a larger proportion of exported 

 nickel in matte and ore. The price of cobalt oxide remained at $2 

 per pound. 



Chromium. — The product declined from 3,000 tons in 1887 to 

 1,500 tons in 1888. The average price in San Francisco remained 

 $15 per ton. Increased operations are probable in 1889. 



Manganese. — The product of manganese and manganiferous 

 iron ores in the United States in 1888 was 239,460 tons, valued at 

 $876,215. Of this amount, some 25,500 tons would be classed as 

 manganese ores ; the remainder, as manganiferous iron ores. Of 

 the manganiferous iron ores, 11,462 tons averaging 11 per cent of 

 manganese, and 189,574 tons averaging 4 per cent of manganese, 

 were from the Colby Mine, Michigan. In addition to, the above, 

 some 60,000 tons of argentiferous manganese ores, valued at $10 a 

 ton, chiefly for the silver contained in them, were produced in the 

 Rocky Mountain region. 



Alumimim. — The past year was more promising than ever be- 

 fore for the production of cheap aluminum. The production of 

 metallic aluminum as an industry distinct from the production of 

 alloys began toward the close of the year, and 500 pounds had been 

 made up to Dec. 31. The production of 3,000 pounds since then 

 indicates that the industry may continue. The exact amount of 

 alloys produced by the Cowles process has not been furnished, but 

 was not markedly different from the product of 1887, when 18,000 

 pounds of aluminum contained in bronze and ferro-aluminum were 

 produced. The price for metallic aluminum declined to as low as 

 $4.50 per pound for less favored brands. 



Platinum. — Including the platinum and iridium separated from 

 gold by the assay offices and that saved in placer gold-mining, the 

 product was about 500 ounces, valued at $2,000. 



Fuels. 



Coal. — The total production of all kinds of commercial coal in 

 1888 was 142,037,735 short tons (increase over 1887, 18,022,480 

 tons), valued at the mines at $204,221,990 (increase, $30,625,994). 

 This may be divided into Pennsylvania anthracite, 43,922,897 short 

 tons (increase, 4,416,642 short tons), or 39,216,872 long tons, in- 

 cluding 38,145,718 long tons shipped by the railroads and canals 

 and reported by their statistician, Mr. John H. Jones, and 1,071,154 

 long tons sold to the local trade at the mines (increase, 3,943,430 

 long tons), valued at $85,649,649 (increase. $6,284,405) ; all other 

 coals, including bituminous, brown coal, lignite, small lots of an- 

 thracite produced in Colorado and Arkansas, and 4.000 tons of 

 graphitic coal mined in Rhode Island, amounting in the aggregate 

 to 98,114,838 short tons (increase, 13,605,838 tons), valued at $118,- 

 572,341 (increase, $24,341,589). 



The colliery consumption at the individual mines varies from 

 nothing to 8 per cent of the total output of the mines, being great- 

 est at special Pennsylvania anthracite mines, and lowest at those 

 bituminous mines where the coal-bed lies nearly horizontal, and 

 where no steam-power or ventilating-furnaces are used. The 

 averages for the different States vary from 2 to 6.4 per cent ; the 

 minimum average being in the Pennsylvania bituminous, and the 

 maximum average being in the Pennsylvania anthracite region. 



