The following individuals and companies reported to the Geological Survey that they produced peat in the United States in 1923: Blaine, J. H., Hopewell Junction, N. Y. N. Y. By JEFFERSON MIDDLETON GENERAL CONDITIONS Clay available for the manufacture of clay products is widely distributed in the United States, and there are clay-working plants in every State in the Union. The following tables represent chiefly clay that is mined and sold as clay. The quantity thus sold is small compared with the total output and includes mainly clay used for making high-grade pottery and tile and refractory products. The yalues given for domestic production are f. o. b. at the mines; for imports, at the principal markets of the countries from which the clay is exported; for exports, at the ports of shipment. The general prosperity of 1923 was shared by the clay-mining industry, which made the largest sales of clay yet recorded. The output in 1923 was greater by 320,816 tons, or 10 per cent, than that in 1917, the year of largest output prior to 1923. The value of the clay sold in 1923, however, was less by $87,750, or 0.8 per cent, than that in 1920, the year of greatest value. The increase in quantity over the output of 1922 was 786,960 tons, or 30 per cent, and the increase in value was $2,858,399, or 34 per cent. Every kind of clay named in this report except stoneware clay increased in quantity, and every kind increased in value. The decrease in stoneware clay compared with 1922 was small—5,477 tons, or 6 per cent. Ohio, the largest producer of stoneware clay in 1922, showed the greatest decrease, owing to a strike in the great stoneware-pottery region of that State, uskingum and Perry counties. Slip clay showed the largest proportional increases-110 per cent in quantity and 125 per cent in Value. Fire clay, which constitutes the largest volume of clay sold, forming 67 per cent of the total in 1923, showed the largest increases-618,943 tons, or 37 per cent, and $1,932,413, or 42 per cent. The increasing use of domestic kaolin and the fact that imports of foreign kaolin are increasing but little should be most gratifying to the miners and users of this material, as they lead to the hope that eventually this country will become independent of foreign supplies of kaolin. Ball clay, which is largely used in combination with kaolin in the manufacture of high-grade ceramic wares, increased considerably in quantity and value. It reached its highest value in 1923--$620,978, which was 41 per cent greater than in 1922 and per cent greater than in 1918, the year of greatest value prior to 1923. The quantity of ball clay in 1923 was 10,338 tons, or 10 per cent less than in 1917, the year of largest production, but 20,276 tons, in M 5 or 26 per cent, more than in 1922. This is another kind of clay for which the country has been largely dependent on foreign supplies, but a study of the comparative value of the American and English ball clays by the Bureau of Standards shows that in some respects the American clays are superior and in others equal to the English clays and only require more careful manipulation to make them acceptable substitutes. Imports of clay in 1923 increased 30,703 short tons, or 9 per cent, in quantity, and $266,348, or 8 per cent, in value, compared with 1922. Imports of every kind of clay reported increased in quantity and value except wrought clay, usually the smallest item among imported clays. The unwrought clays, which probably include ball clay, showed the largest increase--24,755 tons, or 61 per cent, in quantity, and $154,226, or 47 per cent, in value. Exports of clay increased in even greater proportion than production. The quantity of clay exported increased 37,219 tons, or 78 per cent, and the value increased $195,295, or 45 per cent, compared with 1922. Fire clay, which constituted 59 per cent of the quantity and 48 per cent of the value of clay exported in 1923, increased 25,664 tons, or 105 per cent, and $134,011, or 79 per cent, compared with 1922. Notwithstanding the large increases in exports, compared with 1922, the quantity was 29 per cent and the value 46 per cent less than in 1920, the year of maximum quantity and value. PRODUCTION Domestic clay sold in the United States, 1914–1923, by kinds 1 Sort well, H. H., American and English ball clays: Bur. Standards Tech. Paper 227, pp. 153-182, 1923. Domestic clay sold in the United States in 1922, by States and kinds Alabama 2, 160 1, 226, 953 5, 416 890 () (5) 42 9,314 66, 555 244, 240 124 979, 345 6,542 1, 240 168 362, 049 75 44, 289 297, 197 414, 855 290, 701 936, 134 (a) 9 11 6 3 (6) 3 21 52, 462 639, 290 3,309 14,328 * Included under "Undistributed." Domestic clay sold in the United States in 1922, by States and kinds—Continued 60,523 176 4, 203 394 1, 080 248 1,681 45 235, 684 3, 288 381, 259 53, 577 100 74, 114 3, 554 4, 567 Alabama 6,000 10, 008 $49, 765 1, 848 396, 201 158, 621 () 26, 508 (*) 850, 072 2, 410 242, 487 74, 288 23, 068 270, 858 147, 969 3,941 4,852 25, 287 2, 160 1, 238, 622 11, 416 890 () 1, 206, 947 6,542 20, 463 214, 622 474 448, 677 9, 527 1, 306, 253 416, 725 1, 000 362, 281 22, 601 20, 754 (a) 113,828 14,745 94, 371 748 7,313 531, 380 (a) 13, 810 6, 136 58, 692 230 466 40, 633 d 164, 870 1. 90 Average value per ton. 8, 330, 514 3. 15 * Included under“Undistributed." • Includes ardmorite, bentonite, shale, clay for art pottery, asbestos products, blast furnaces, brick, cement, decolorizing oils, drain tile, fireworks, foundries, high-grade tile, hollow ware, modeling, paint, plaster and its products, red earthenware, roofing tile, sewer pipe, stove polish, and terra cotta. Slip clay is also includedin this column as a matter of statistical convenience. These totals include 4,050 tons of slip clay, valued at $19,405, or $4.79 a ton, from Michigan (420 tons, valued at $2,162) and New York (3,630 tons, valued at $17,243). |
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