92 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



was about 33,000 short tons, which figure was rarely exceeded 

 during the next 50 years. Practically the entire product was 

 used in agriculture. The first definite impulse toward an 

 enlargement of the industry came in 1893 when the application 

 of gypsum to plaster manufacture was successfully inaugurated at 

 Oakfield. The amount reported under that form for that year was 

 only 75 tons, as compared with 33,781 tons sold in crude condition. 

 In 1899 the quantity employed in calcined plaster exceeded that 

 of all other uses combined. The trade in crude gypsum as a cement 

 retarder began to assume importance about 1905 when 34,095 tons 

 were reported as sold in lump form, nearly all of it doubtless going 

 to Portland cement makers. In the same year the calcined plaster 

 output was 130,268 tons, and the production of agricultural plaster 

 was 19,815 tons. 



The present status of the industry is indicated by the following 

 table for the years 1916, 1917 and 19 18. It is to be noted that 

 the figures for calcined plasters in the last item of the table represent 

 the product obtained from gypsum quarried within the State and 

 is exclusive of any materials made by calcination of imported gypsimi. 

 There are a nxmiber of mills which customarily import more or less 

 of the crude rock, although in the last year or two importations 

 have not been made as freely as heretofore owing to the high cost 

 of shipment. Most of this imported gypsimi has come from the 

 Maritime Provinces and has been used in mills located along tide 

 water, i. e. the lower Hudson and New York bay. 



Production of gypsum in New York 





1916 



I9r7 



1918 



MATERIAL 



SHORT 

 TONS 



VALUE 



SHORT 

 TONS 



VALUE 



SHORT 

 TONS 



VALUE 





579 827 



188 077 



7 169 

 311 264 





606 268 

 218 094 



5 29S 

 304 364 



'$400 Ssi 



20 23s 



I 615 74t 



531 038 

 179 968 



3 139 



275 333 





Sold crude 



$273 322 



r8 710 

 I 167 555 



$442 087 



14 552 



2 213 460 



Ground for land plaster 





Total 





Si 459 587 





$2 036 820 





22 670 099 







The mine output of 606,268 tons in 19 17 set a new mark for this 

 State which maintained itself well in the lead among the producers 

 of gypsimi and its products. The gain was brought about by 

 increased shipments of crude rock, that is in the g3rpsum sold to 



