22 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



FRONT BRICK 



There were five grades of front brick produced in the State dur- 

 ing 1915 — smooth face red, rough face, dry-pressed red, dry- 

 pressed manganese and wire-cut manganese. Owing to the few 

 plants producing front brick it is not possible to give comparative 

 figures of the different grades. There was a small amount of 

 rough face vitrified front brick made as a by-product of the paving 

 brick industry. 



There is found along the Hudson river in certain localities a 

 heavy bed of light brown laminated clay having a low fire shrinkage 

 and comparatively high fusing point. This clay, without the 

 addition of any other substance, burns to a dark red color and 

 when formed in the augur machine gives a perfectly smooth sur- 

 face. It is not necessary to add sand in tempering. With the 

 present mining equipment and a small addition in the way of augur 

 machines and kilns at a few of the present Hudson river yards 

 there could be turned out' an immense quantity of first-class smooth 

 face red front brick for the New York market. At present this 

 market depends entirely upon brick produced in Pennsylvania, Ohio 

 and other western states. 



The entire output of New York State during the last season 

 amounted to 6,603,000 with a value of $153,572 as compared with 

 10,482,000 and a value of $105,439 for 1914. 



COMMON HOLLOW BRICK 



There were ten producers of common hollow brick during the 

 last year with an output of 9,402,000 and a value of $59,683 as 

 compared with 6,402,000 and a value of $38,119 for 1914. Nearly 

 the entire output is made from soft, plastic clays and disposed of 

 in the local markets.. Very little is made for the outside trade and 

 the entire supply for the metropolitan market comes from other 

 states. 



It is not necessary to have, for this product, a very high grade of 

 clay. Any plastic clay fairly free from sand and burning to a light 

 brown at about 950 C. produces a good product. Such clays are 

 found in great abundance throughout the Hudson River region and 

 could be used, with a very small extra addition to the present 

 equipment of the soft-mud yards, for the production of common 

 hollow brick and other hollow ware of small size. It is not neces- 

 sary to change the burning or drying equipment. They can be 

 dried in pallet or open yards and burned perfectly in the ordinary 

 form of scove kiln along with building brick. 



