The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-07-16
MINERAL water
TRADE IN 1914.
More Than 800 Different Wa
ters on the Market and
54 Million Gallons
Sold.

Oh MllllOll UdllOllS
Sold.
The annual report on the produc-
tion of mineral water in the United
States, which has just been compiled
by r. B. Dole, of the United States
Geological Survey, from reports re-
ceived from spring operators, shows
that 54.358,466 gallons of mineral
water, valued at $4,S92,32S, was bot
tied and sold in 1914. The water was
marketed for both medicinal and ta-
BILE use and ranged in composition
from the purest of table beverages to
the strongest mineralized waters in
the country. In addition to this
quantity, 6,261, ,743 gallons of mineral
water was consumed in the manu-
facture of soft drinks" The lat
ter quantity does not begin to repre-
sent the entire production of soft
drinks but only that part made from
mineral waters, by far the greater
part of the favored drinks being
compounded with municipal or pri-
vate supplies not classified as miner
al waters. Though 7S new springs
reported production, large number
hitherto active were idle, so that the
total number of commercial springs
was S29, or less than in 1913. The
total production in 1913 was $780,
800 gallons, valued at $5,631 ,991; thus
the decrease in 1914 was per cent
in quantity and 13 per cent in value.
Similar decreases in the trade have
been observed since 1911, and may
be attributed chiefly to general i'm
provement in the quality of municipal
supplies, because of which the neces-
sity of purchasing bottled drinking
water has been lessened. During
the last ten years the introduction of
safe filtered water into several large
cities has been followed by notable
falling-off in business of table-water
producers in the immediate vicinity.
Cheaper Mineral Waters.
Another change that has been tax
ing place since 1906 IS the drop in
the price per gallon, from II cents
in 1906 to 8 cents in 1914. This
has been due partly to decrease of
price of individual waters but most
ly to increased sales of low-priced
table waters and decreased sales of
high-priced mineral waters reputed
to have peculiar medicinal proper
ties. The value of table waters
sold in 1914 was 1888, ,861, while
that of medicinal waters was 81 ,298,-
437.
The State of New York leads in
number of commercial springs, in the
quantity and total value bf water
sold, and in value of table waters,
though it is far behind in the value
of medicinal waters, in the sales of
which California takes first rank.
: Indiana and Virginia are also nota-
BILE producers of medicinal waters.
In value of table waters Wisconsin
is second only to New York and is
followed by California, Maine, and
Pennsylvania. Sales were reported
from every State in the Union ex-
cept Arizona and Idaho.
Wide Local Trade.
Nearly half the trade was in the
hands of about so producers, each of
which did more than $4,000 worth
of business, and more than 100000
gallons was marketed from each of
5 springs. Yet the trade is essen
TALLY local, for 77S other springs
scattered throughout the country re-
ported sales ranging in value from
IS to $4,000. Practically four-ffths
of the mineral water was sold at
prices ranging from one-half cent to
10 cents gallon, and only 4 per
cent was sold at prices greater than
80 cents. AS a general rule most
of the high-priced waters are sold for
medicinal use, though the demand for
several well-known table waters has
sustained their prices.
Imported Waters.
The total imports of mineral wa
ter during 1914 amounted to 1885,
142 gallons, valued at S857,707, de-
crease of II per cent in quantity and
10 per cent in value from last year.
Though the importations of mineral
water have decreased annually since
1911, the drop in 1914 was more than
might be attributed to decreased de-
mand for foreign waters, any of
which may be duplicated in their es-
sential characteristics in this country.
AS in previous years, more than two
thirds of the imported water came
from France, Germany, and Austria
Hungary. The trade with France in
creased about 10 per cent and chat
with GelTany decreased about 40
per cent from that in 1913. In spite
of war conditions, the rate of i'm
portation was greater between July
and December than between January
and June. Mineral water is one nat
ural product for which the United
States is not necessarily dependent
on Europe, for the great variety of
composition exhibited by the miner
al waters of this country makes it
possible to gain every characters
tic therapeutic reaction by use of do
nestle waters.