126 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



depth of 1846 feet. The plant is now owned by the International 

 Salt Co. The Watkins Salt Co. also operates at this locality. 



The discovery of salt near Wyoming, Wyoming co., in 1878, 

 furnished an incentive for the exploration of this region. The 

 first well penetrated 70 feet of rock salt at 1270 feet from the sur- 

 face. It was followed by discoveries at Warsaw, Leroy, Rock 

 Glen, Batavia and numerous places in Livingston, Wyoming and 

 Genesee, counties. Practically the whole valley of Oatka creek, 

 from Leroy to Bliss and the Genesee valley south of Monroe county 

 have been found to be salt bearing. The region is now one of the 

 most productive in the State. The International Salt Co. has oper- 

 ated three plants at Warsaw. The other active companies in this 

 field are the Leroy Salt Co. of Leroy ; the Genesee Salt Co. of Pif- 

 fard ; the Worcester Salt Co. of Silver Springs ; and the Retsof 

 Mining Co. of Retsof. The last named company produces rock 

 salt. A large number of plants have been erected by other com- 

 panies that are now inoperative. 



In Erie county salt has been found at Eden Valley, Springville 

 and Gowanda, but these localities are no longer productive. At 

 Perry, the Iroquois Salt Co. has a plant which has been operated 

 during the last few years. 



Among other discoveries of salt in New York may be mentioned 

 those at Vincent and Naples, Ontario co. ; Dundee, Yates co. ; Seneca 

 Falls, Seneca co. ; and Aurora, Cayuga co. The deposits are not 

 worked. 



All of the commercial grades of salt are made in New York, 

 including coarse solar, common coarse, common fine, table and 

 dairy, packers and rock salt. The coarse solar is produced around 

 Syracuse where large tracts of land are given up to its manufacture. 

 There are four rock salt mines in the State, but only that at Retsof is 

 now operated. 



Production. During the year 1905, there were 31 companies 

 engaged in the production of salt within the State, as compared with 

 30 companies in the preceding year. Of the number reporting in 

 1905^ Onondaga county was represented by 23 companies ; Wyom- 

 ing, Tompkins and Livingston counties by two each and Genesee and 

 Schuyler counties by one each. The International Salt Co. is in- 

 cluded under Tompkins county, but it also operated plants in 

 Schuyler and Wyoming counties. The Genesee Salt Co., of Piffard, 

 Livingston co., which was inactive during the previous year, 

 reported an output in 1905. 



