THE MINING AND OUARkY INDUSTRY I969 23 



The Hudson river and Champlain depression furnish excel- 

 lent red-burning- clays for brickmaking and for a few other 

 special uses, while glacial clays, both buff and red-burning, are 

 widely distributed throughout the remainder of the State. 



White-burning and refractory clays are found in the State 

 only on Long Island and Staten Island. The irregular pockety 

 nature of the deposits and the extensive use of New Jersey 

 material have limited the use of these clays but their proximity 

 to New York city may in time bring them into more promi- 

 nence. Notwithstanding the lack of suitable clays near at hand, 

 a number of porcelain, china and fire brick manufactories are in 

 operation in the State and their production is constantly in- 

 creasing. 



The use of the Devonic shales of western New York for the 

 manufacture of tile, paving brick, terra cotta etc., is continuing 

 to increase and the value of shale brick as a high grade build- 

 ing material, is becoming more widely known. 



Production of clay materials 



During the past year the clay-working industry partially re- 

 covered from the depression experienced in 1908. Building 

 operations, as shown by the building- permits granted, showed 

 a largely increased activity. In New York city in May 1909, 

 352 buildings with an aggregate value of $18,620,491, were 

 erected as against 204 with a value of $7,585,150 in 1908, or a 

 gain of 145 per cent. In the same month, buildings erected in 

 Buffalo showed a g'ain over the corresponding" month of 1908 

 of 23 per cent. During the whole year the percentage of gain 

 in building operations was most noticeable. This activity was 

 reflected strongly on the output of structural clay materials and 

 a return to nearly the production of 1907 was made. 



The aggregate value of all clay manufactures in 1909 was 

 $12,351,482 against $8,918,863 in 1908 and $12,688,868 in 1907. 

 The number of firms or individuals engaged in the industry 

 was 232 against 242 in 1908, while 42 of the 61 counties in the 

 State participated in the industry. Examination of the output 

 classified as to classes of material, brings out the fact that the 

 increase was felt mainly among the structural materials. Com- 

 mon and front brick, architectural terra cotta, fireproofing, 

 building tile and pottery all show larg'e advances over the year 

 1908. Common brick shows the largest increase, being valued 



