REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I915 II5 



The annual production ranges from 300,000 to 500,000 tons a 

 year. The following statistics represent the aggregate production 

 of molding sand in New York State for the years 1908-14 as col- 

 lected by the State Geologist's office. They may be regarded as 

 practically equivalent to the output of the Albany district, for the 

 industry outside is very small. 



' Output of molding sand 



YEAR TONS 



1908 312 819 



1909 468 609 



1910 471 351 



1911 476 014 



1912 469 138 



1913. . • S04 348 



1914 310 727 



A production of 500,000 tons a year means the exhaustion annu- 

 ally of about 125 acres of a 2 foot layer, based on an estimated 

 yield of 1000 tons for each 6 inches of sand on an acre, which is 

 said to be about the rate of yield. On this basis, a square mile of 

 territory is worked over every 5 years. 



There is no doubt that the supply has been appreciably diminished 

 by past operations which have been conducted on an extensive 

 scale probably for the last 50 years or more. This is shown by the 

 fact that the sand is now hauled from more distant points than 

 formerly. Yet there is a large amount of unworked territory, suffi- 

 cient probably to meet the demand for a long time to come, but at 

 somewhat increased costs. The supply of the finest grade is likely 

 to give out first, since it is not so plentiful as the others. 



The production of artificial molding sands to compete with the 

 finer grades of Albany sand does not appear possible, so long as 

 the latter can be obtained at moderate cost. 



To grind such a tough material as quartz to a similar degree of 

 fineness is expensive and there are physical difficulties which may 

 prove insurmountable so far as practical operations are concerned. 

 One of these is the close attachment or adhesion between the clay 

 and the quartz, which no doubt is promoted by the slightly cor- 

 roded or roughened surfaces of the grains and their film by Iron 

 oxide. Furthermore, it would probably be very difficult to obtain 

 an even distribution of the bond comparable as in the natural sand 

 of which every particle is separately coated by clay. 

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