Lime sold by producers in the United States, 1922 and 1923, by States.

Lime sold by producers in the United States, 1922 and 1923, by uses

Lime sold by producers in the United States, 1922 and 1923, by uses-Continued

Chemical lime sold by producers in the United States for “other uses," 1922 and 1923

• Included under "Undistributed." Includes, in 1922, lime used in the manufacture of precipitated calcium carbonate, glycerin, dyes, oxygen, potash,candles, varnish, corn products, gelatin, buffing compounds, gypsum products, proprietary medicines, calcium carbide, explosives, basic magnesium carbonate, distillation and dehydration of alcohol, use in print mills, and for mixture with wood ashes; in 1923, lime used in the manufacture of nitrates, food products, buffing compounds, magnesia, pottery, textiles, dyes, oxygen, distillation and dehydration of alcohol, gelatin (edible), explosives, ice, corn products, disinfectants, candles, baking powder, and poultry food.

It is necessary to classify much material as "unspecified," because many of the manufacturers do not report the uses of the part of their lime which they sell for chemical purposes. It is known to be applied to several of theuses enumerated, but thefigures given are the best available. The above figures do not include a considerable amount of lime which is not a commercial product but is burned for use in manufacturing from stone either quarried or purchased by the manufacturer. This stone is reported to the Survey as raw limestone and is included in the statistics on stone. It is used principally by alkali works, carbide works, sugar refineries, and smelters.

• Included under "Undistributed."

Building lime.-The output of lime for construction work, which had increased 49 per cent in 1922, showed an increase of 15.5 per cent in 1923. The demand for lime for building enterprises was moderately good during the first part of the year, but the general curtailment of construction that shortly followed and the rise in prices of some building materials and of labor had its effect on the total sales for the year. The leading States, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, showed increases in output of 12, 23, and 27 per cent, respectively.

Chemical lime.-The output of chemical lime in 1923 showed an increase of 16 per cent over that of 1922, or practically the same increase as building lime. This followed an increase of 53 per cent in 1922, when the chemical industry was recovering from the industrial depression of 1921.

Agricultural lime. The total sales of lime for agriculture decreased 12 per cent in 1923, and Virginia and West Virginia were the only important States to show increases. Pennsylvania, the principal producing State, showed a decrease of 19 per cent, and Ohio and Maryland also showed decreases. The decline in output is ascribed to the inability of the farmers to buy lime, the high cost of fuel and labor, and scarcity of common labor. Ground limestone for this. purpose, which for several years increased in output as burned lime decreased, has also decreased since 1919, but in 1923 it increased 7 per cent. Sales of calcareous marl for agriculture increased 47 per cent, but sales of oyster-shell lime decreased 40 per cent.

Agricultural lime sold by producers in the United States, 1922-23, by kinds

The method by which the effective lime content of the different forms of land lime is calculated was set forth in Mineral Resources for 1921.

Detailed statistics of pulverized limestone sold for agriculture in 1923 will be found in the annual report on stone. All the calcareous marl sold in the United States in 1923 was used for liming the soil. Virginia produced 36,937 short tons, valued at $87,714, and California 18,303 short tons, valued at $109,437.