24 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ALABAMA 



During the war years, imports of mica were received 

 chiefly from England, Canada, India, Brazil and Argen- 

 tina. 



Exports mainly of manufactured products, were in 

 1918 as usually very widely distributed, being world- 

 wide. During the year 1919, imports of crude mica show- 

 ed an increase over 1918 of about 18 per cent, in amount 

 and of over 20 per cent, in value, the stated increase 

 being in part attributable to larger importations of the 

 higher grades, as a decline of approximately 25 per cent, 

 was noted in the value of cut mica importations for the 

 same period. 



Exports during the year 1919 were in excess of the 

 amounts estimated as exported during the preceding year. 



* During the first nine months of 1920, the mine indus- 

 try in the United States was prosperous, but suffered 

 severely from the general industrial decline during the 

 last quarter of the year, which was marked by the falling 

 off of market demands, and by unusual accumulations of 

 surplus stocks, prices dropping in consequence from 10 

 to 20 per cent, in the various grades. 



Importations of mica increased in 1920, reaching in the 

 first ten months of the year 1,375,927 pounds of uncut 

 mica, valued at $1,206,443, or nearly double that of the 

 corresponding period of 1919. Cut mica was imported 

 to the value of $1,656,182 in the same period. 



Exports 'of mica during the first ten-month period of 

 1920, were valued at $243,381, about 10 per cent, of the 

 value of imports. 



The gradual resumption of industrial activity thus far 

 during 1921, would not seem to indicate any possible in- 

 crease of production during the present year, and it is 

 doubtful whether the 1920 output will be at all equaled, 

 the mica industry in North Carolina and in Georgia be- 

 ing at the present time virtually stagnated. 



OCCURRENCE. 



Mica deposits of commercial value or importance in 

 Alabama and elsewhere, are located altogether in the 



*Prof. J. Volney Lewis in Engineering and Mining Record Annual Review- 

 Number, Jan. 22, 1921. 



