66 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



quantity of stone produced by the crushing plants was 3,306,325 

 cubic yards against 3,945,543 cubic yards in 191 3. 



Lime. The value of the lime made for market last year was 

 $370,377, as compared with $486,908 in 1913. In quantity it 

 amounted to 82,944 short tons, against 110,083 short tons in 1912. 

 The decrease was brought about mainly by the shutting down of 

 two of the larger plants, one in Lewis and another in Genesee 

 counties. Although less lime is used in the building trade than 

 formerly, the loss has been partially compensated by the growth 

 of demand in the agricultural industry. The principal plants are 

 in Warren, Washington, Clinton, Fulton, Madison and Dutchess 

 counties. 



Building stone. The production of building stone has fallen off 

 year by year, so that a further decrease in 1914 was not unexpected. 

 The decline of 20 per cent, however, was larger than usual and re- 

 duced the output so that it represented but a fraction of the former 

 total. The returns showed the value of the building stone to be 

 $81,409 as compared with $101,198 in 1913. This represents less 

 than one-third of the output ten years ago. 



The diminished demand for cut stone is a feature that has mani- 

 fested itself in the building trades throughout the country. It is 

 due largely to change in the methods of building construction, par- 

 ticularly in the use of steel, concrete and tile for large structures. 

 The principal quarries of building stone are in Erie, Cayuga, Onon- 

 daga and Montgomery counties. 



Furnace flux. The metallurgical establishments, especially the 

 iron and steel plants, consume a large quantity of fluxing limestone 

 which is obtained mostly from local resources. For this purpose 

 calcium limestone is mostly in demand, and it is required to be 

 nearly free of siliceous and aluminous impurities. The principal 

 flux quarries are in the Onondaga limestone of Erie and Genesee 

 counties, the Clinton limestone of Niagara county, the Precambric 

 limestones or marbles of the Adirondacks and the Chazy limestone 

 of the Champlain valley. The limestones in these sections ordi- 

 narily carry from 90 to 95 per cent of calcium carbonate. The pro- 

 duction of flux in 1 9 14 was valued at $446,877, representing a total 

 of 795,538 net tons, as compared with $575,102 and 1,052,519 tons 

 in 191 3. Niagara and Erie counties, which supply the iron and 

 steel works around Buffalo, reported the largest quantities. 



Agricultural lime. The use of lime on soils has become in the 

 last few years an important factor in the quarry industry. The 

 quantity sold for the purpose is not given separately in the statisti- 



