REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR AND STATE GEOLOGIST 1902 I'll3 



kilns. The new building is constructed of steel and is modern 

 in every respect. It will have a capacity of 500 to 600 barrels of 

 cement a day. The works are expected to be in operation by 

 February 1903. 



Sand and gravel 



Large quantities of sand and gravel are quarried at Syracuse 

 and near vicinity for use in mortar, plaster, cement and other 

 purposes, but the industry is so purely local and carried on by 

 individual operators in such an irregular way that no attempt 

 has been made to get a directory of the dealers. Most of the 

 sand is obtained from the beach deposits of the fossil Lake 

 Iroquois. 



Salt 



Solar salt is manufactured in large quantities at Syracuse, 

 but the product this year is below the average on account of the 

 excessive rain and little sunshine during the summer months. 

 The salt is all produced from water from the State wells. The 

 output and details of the industry are given in the report of the 

 state commissioner in charge of the wells and hence are omitted 

 here. The Solvay Process Co. continues to get its salt from its 

 wells at Tully. It has recently changed the plan of operating 

 the wells. Formerly the fresh water was put into the wells 

 under sufficient pressure to force it through the salt bed and out 

 at the mouth of the well, whence it flowed by gravity to the works 

 at Solvay. It was noticed after a time that more water was put 

 into the well than was coming out, and there appeared to be also 

 an increase in the percentage of salt in the State wells at Syra- 

 cuse. The pressure was released on the Tully wells and the 

 water pumped out of the wells into the pipes in which it is con- 

 ducted to the works. 



Gypsum 



The gypsum industry has been fairly active during the current 

 year, the output being somewhat above the normal. Part of the 

 output is used for wall plaster and decorations, part goes to the 

 cement manufacturers, and part is ground raw and used for land 

 plaster. 



