THE MINING AND QUARRY INDUSTRY I913 II 



land. With prices under $i a barrel there seems to be no danger 

 of a general invasion by foreign brands, although in periods of 

 depression those countries may sell more or less in the seaboard 

 markets. 



In the natural cement trade conditions have not been so favorable 

 and the few plants now engaged in that branch reported a some- 

 what smaller output than in 1912. The decline of the industry 

 has meant a great loss to many communities, although its effects 

 generally have been counterbalanced by the gain of portland cement 

 manufacture. The natural cement product for a long time averaged 

 around 4,000,000 barrels a year, and the industry continued in a 

 flourishing condition down to about the year 1900 when the cheap- 

 ening of the cost of portland cement brought on competition that 

 caused the closing down of most plants. 



The output of cement in the State last year reached record 

 figures ; the total as compiled from the individual reports amounted 

 to 5,340,757 barrels. In the preceding year, the combined produc- 

 tion of portland and natural cement was 4,783,535 barrels and in 

 191 1 it was 3,691,373 barrels. The value of the output was also 

 larger than that of any previous year. 



As shown in the accompanying tables, the portland industry 

 accounted last year for a total of 5,146,782 barrels, as compared 

 with 4,495,842 barrels in 191 2, or a gain of 650,940 barrels. The 

 value of the output was $4,873,807 against $3,488,931 in 1912. 

 The average value for the product, based on the mill prices for 

 the year, was 95 cents a barrel against JJ.6 cents a barrel. There 

 were eight mills in operation during the year, one more than in 

 1912. 



The output of natural cement amounted to 193,975 barrels valued 

 at $95,565, the greater part having been made by a single plant 

 in the Rosendale district of Ulster county. The total for 191 2 

 was 287,693 barrels with a value of $142,165. The average price 

 received was thus about 50 cents a barrel in 191 3, the same as in 

 19 1 2. Aside from Ulster county the only other county which was 

 represented in the industry was Onondaga with three small pro- 

 ducers. 



