THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF MASSACHUSETTS 403.  Roofing Granules.—Rooflng
granuleswere prepared from rhyolite quarried in 
 
 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Public Works, mined sand
and gravel in all counties except Nantucket, Suffolk, and Worcester. Both
sand and gravel were used mainly for paving. The municipalities of North
Adams, Dartmouth, Fall River, and Watertown produced small quantities of
sand and gravel for their own street and road maintenance. 
 Commercial sand and gravel was produced in all counties in the State except
Suffolk County. Building and paving markets consumed 65 percent of the sand
and gravel output. Small quantities of sand were used for fill, molding,
blast, filtration, and other uses. Gravel was also used as fill and for other
uses. 
 A total of 285 pits operated by 133 producers was active in 1967. Middlesex
County led all counties in the production of sand and gravel with 4.5 million
tons. Other counties producing over I million tons were Berkshire, Bristol,
Essex, Hampden, Norfolk, and Worcester. 
 
 Stone.—Production of stone declined 3 percent, while value increased
less than 1 percent over that of 1966. The value of stone, amounting to $17.7
million, was second highest among the minerals produced, and contributed
44 percent of the State's total mineral value. Middlesex County led the State
in both quantity and value of stone produced. 
 Stone, quarried in 11 counties, included basalt, granite, limestone, sandstone,
and miscellaneous stone. Basalt was the most important stone in both quantity
and value, but output decreased from that of 1966. Output of limestone, sandstone,
and miscellaneous stone also decreased while granite production increased.
Crushed and broken stone accounted for 98 percent of the total stone output
sold in 1967. 
 Basalt, sold as crushed stone, was produced by 13 commercial companies at
quarries located in eight counties. Middlesex County led in output and value,
followed by Essex County. The value of basalt accounted for 41 percent of
total value of stone. The crushed stone was used mainly for concrete aggregate
and roadstone; other uses were for railroad ballast, riprap, and mineral
stabilizer. 
 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Public Works, quarried
basalt in Franklin and Hampden Coun 
ties for use as concrete and road metal and granite in Plymouth County for
use mainly as riprap. 
 As a result of the National Safety Competition, jointly sponsored by the
Federal Bureau of Mines and the American Mining Congress, Achievement in
Safety awards were presented to a number of companies for their outstanding
safety record of operating without a disabling work injury during 1967. Among
companies receiving awards were Trimount Bituminous Products Co. (Saugus
basalt quarry), George Brox, Inc. (Brox basalt quarry), and Bayer & Mingolia
Construction Co., Inc. (Ashland basalt quarry). 
 Granite, sold as crushed and dimension stone, was quarried by 11 commercial
companies located in four counties. Producers of granite in Worcester County
were idle in 1967. Middlesex County led in value of granite produced, with
Norfolk County second. Granite was the second most important stone produced
in the State and contributed 33 percent of total stone value. Dimension granite
accounted for 73 percent of the total value of output. The chief use for
dimension stone was for curbing and flagging; other uses were for rough and
dressed architectural and construction purposes, rubble, paving blocks, and
dressed monumental stone. Crushed granite was used mainly for concrete aggregate
and roadstone; smaller quantities were used for riprap and other uses. 
 Limestone, mined only in Berkshire County by four companies, accounted for
20 percent of total value of stone. The chief uses for crushed limestone
were lime manufacture, rubber and asphalt filler, agriculture, concrete aggregate
and roadstone, mineral food, and blast furnace flux. 
 Sandstone was produced only in Hampden County as dimension stone for construction.

 Miscellaneous stone was quarried in Bristol, Norfolk, and Worcester Counties,
and contributed 6 percent to the value of total stone produced. The crushed
stone was used almost entirely for concrete aggregate and roadstone; minor
uses were for riprap and roofing granules.