58 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



thick, though usually the finer grades occur in relatively thin beds. 

 The sand is graded roughly according to size, which varies from 

 extremely fine sand that will pass through a lOO-mesh sieve to 

 rather coarse gravel. The business of mining and shipping the 

 sand is mainly conducted by a few large companies who operate in 

 several places and are able to furnish all the grades demanded by 

 the foundries. 



The production of molding sand in 191 o amounted to 471,351 

 short tons valued at $424,015, or almost the same as in the preced- 

 ing year when the total was 468,609 tons valued at $437,402. These 

 figures are probably close to the actual amounts, as the molding sand 

 trade is on a fairly stable basis and can be canvassed with some 

 degree of accuracy. 



Of the total production last year the Hudson river region fur- 

 nished 448,805 tons valued at $406,542. The remaining 22,546 tons 

 valued at $17,473 came mainly from Erie county, though small 

 Cjuantities were reported from Cayuga, Chautauqua, Essex, Living- 

 ston, and Oneida counties. In 1909 the Hudson river region con- 

 tributed an output of 450,989 tons valued at $422,144. 



Core sand used in connection with molding sand for the cores 

 of castings is obtained from Oneida lake and from Erie county. 

 Its production in 1909 amounted to 30,230 tons valued at $25,472. 

 For 1910 the figures were included with those of fire sand, the com- 

 bined total of the two materials amounting to 76,589 tons valued at 



$33709. 



Building sand. The use of sand and gravel in building and en- 

 gineering work calls for enormous quantities of those materials and 

 is the basis of a productive industry that is carried on more or less 

 actively in nearly every county of the State. The business is purely 

 local, as the towns and cities are generally well supplied with de- 

 posits close at hand. The value of the materials is mainly repre- 

 sented in the cost of excavation. 



An incomplete census of the industry for the past year showed a 

 production of sand and gravel valued at $1,606,149. Of this value 

 sand constituted $1,016,598 and gravel $589,551. The quantity of 

 sand reported was 3,838,976 cubic yards and of gravel 1,037,026 

 cubic yards, a total of 4,876,002 cubic yards. Reports were re- 

 ceived from 56 producers distributed among 32 counties. The 

 largest business was on Long island, principally in Nassau county, 

 where the supply for New York is obtained. Nassau county alone 

 contributed a total of 2,903,600 cubic yards valued at $1,020,247. 



