14 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



made early in the summer appeared to mark the beginning of a 

 stronger market, but before the year closed prices were again on 

 the former level. That the consumption of cement has been in- 

 creasing should strengthen the hope for a definite relief of the 

 market situation before long. With the large amount of engineer- 

 ing work in progress in the State, the local producers have fared 

 perhaps better than the average. 



The unfavorable conditions were still more accentuated in the 

 natural cement trade, in which both prices and demand showed a 

 marked decline. For the last decade the natural cement companies 

 have been gradually withdrawing from business and the produc- 

 tion has fallen to small proportions. The closing of the plants has 

 caused heavy losses not only of capital but of industrial activity to 

 many communities, since only in one or two instances has it been 

 possible to replace the enterprises with portland cement mills. As 

 a measure of the former importance of the natural cement indus- 

 try in New York, the statistics in the accompanying table will be of 

 interest. 



The aggregate production of cement in 1910 amounted to 3,657,- 



015 barrels. The total for the preceding year was 2,610,383 barrels 

 and for 1908 it was 2,612,462 barrels. The production last year 

 has not been exceeded since 1906. The returns showed that twelve 

 companies were active, or one less than in 1909, and about one-half 

 the number active five years ago. 



Of the total production, the portland cement mills contributed 

 3,364,255 barrels, with a value of $2,939,818, much the largest that 

 has ever been reported. In the preceding year the output was 

 2,061,019 barrels valued at $1,761,297. One new plant was placed 

 in operation and eight in all were active during the whole or part 

 of the year. 



The output of natural cement was returned as 292,760 barrels, 

 valued at $147,202, against 549,364 barrels valued at $361,605 in 

 1909. There were only four companies which reported a produc- 

 tion, a loss of three as compared with the preceding year. The 

 Rosendale district was represented by a single company and Onon- 

 daga county by three firms. All of the plants, in Erie county were 

 closed throughout the year. 



