Full text: Our mineral reserves

MINERAL PRODUCTS. 
9 
of the United States,” and the 1913 volume also contains a map 
showing the distribution of limestone. 
The Bureau of Mines has issued a comprehensive report on coal 
analyses (Bulletin 22), representing the important analytical work 
done in connection with the fuel investigations by that bureau as 
well as the field surveys by the Geological Survey. Another bulletin 
on the same subject, including the analyses made since July 1, 1910, 
is in press and will be issued early in September. 
The Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce of the Depart 
ment of Commerce issues a “ Monthly Summary of Commerce and 
Finance of the United States,” which is, of course, the source of 
authoritative data regarding imports and exports. 
Another source of information that is of service to the public is 
the Geological Survey’s list of mineral producers. In response to 
specific inquiries as to the location of mines of any kind tributary 
to any particular market, extracts can be furnished from this list. 
The list, however, is not published, as it includes about 90,000 names 
and addresses of producers and is constantly being revised, the 
changes each year amounting to 25 per cent of the list. It can be 
largely utilized, however, in reply to inquiries from consumers of 
mineral products. 
THE MINERAL PRODUCTS. 
VALUE AND SUPPLY. 
The value of the mineral production of the United States now 
reaches $2,500,000,000 a year. Though this value falls far below 
that of the country’s farm products, the magnitude and scope of our 
mineral industry may be best measured by comparing our own 
mineral production with that of other countries, no one of which 
can compete with us in abundance or variety of mineral resources. 
The United States mines nearly 40 per cent of the world’s output of 
coal and produced 65 per cent of the petroleum in 1913. Of the more 
essential metals, 40 per cent of the world’s output of iron ore is 
raised from American mines, and the smelters of the United States 
furnish the world with 55 per cent of its copper and at least 30 per 
cent of its lead and zinc. These are the raw materials on which has 
been founded a great metallurgical industry, but on which can be 
built much more extensive chemical and metal-working industries. 
The table of production published each year by the Geological 
Survey contains no less than 12 items. For present purposes only 
a relatively small number of these items need to be mentioned, and 
for convenience these may be grouped under three general head 
ings—mineral fuels, metals, and miscellaneous minerals, the last 
heading including principally structural materials, fertilizers, and 
crude chemicals. In each of these groups there are several minerals 
which already enter largely into the world’s commerce, and their
	        
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