Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/489

MICHIGAN. with large contributions from the older rocks of Canada. In the northern portions, where the outcropping rock was a Paleozoic sandstone, the soil is light and worthless and fit only for pine and other trees.

. The minerals for which Michigan is best known are copper and iron. Copper mining in the State dates from 1845. The output developed at a much faster rate than that of the whole country, so that in 1870 Michigan produced about 11,000 tons out of a total of 12,000 tons. By the time Montana and Arizona began to produce copper, the output of Michigan had doubled, amounting to over 22,000 tons in 1880. With the rapid development of the Montana deposits Michigan fell to the second place (1887) as a copper producer, and, although its output has been steadily growing, its contribution to the total copper output of the country has relatively decreased. The copper deposits of Michigan are confined to the peninsula protruding into Lake Superior, and the best-known mines are the Calumet and Hecla. They yield over one-half of the output of the State. In 1901 Michigan produced 69,772 long tons of fine copper, or 25.9 per cent. of the total for the United States, as compared with 38.2 per cent. produced by Montana and 21.7 by Arizona.

Next to copper the chief mineral of Michigan is iron, in regard to which the State occupies the foremost position in the country, although its output in 1901 was exceeded in quantity by that of Minnesota. The iron deposits are found chiefly in the Marquette, Menominee, and Gogebic ranges, and consist almost entirely of red hematite. Iron was first discovered in the State near Marquette in 1844, and mining operations were begun in 1846. The development of the industry was greatly retarded by the lack of transportation facilities, so that in 1872 the output of iron from the Marquette range amounted only to 948,553 tons of ore. In 1885 the Marquette, Menominee, and Gogebic ranges yielded 2,240,887 tons. The improvement of the facilities for the transportation of the ore and the extension in the use of iron and steel gave a new impulse to iron mining and brought Michigan to the position of the foremost iron-producing State of the Union. In 1901 the total yield of its iron ore amounted to 9,654,067 long tons, valued at the mines at $21,735,592. Only a small part of the iron output is smelted in the State, most of the ore being transported by way of the lakes to the Lake Erie ports. The chief shipping ports are Escanaba on Lake Michigan and Marquette on Lake Superior.

Previous to 1893 Michigan was the leading salt-producing State. In that year it was displaced by New York, which held the first rank until 1901, when Michigan again became first. The total production of salt in Michigan in 1901 was 7,729,641 barrels, or 37.6 per cent. of the output of the United States. The value of the salt output of Michigan for the same year was $2,437,677. The chief salt mines are around Saginaw Bay. Michigan is also the leading gypsum producing State, the output amounting in 1901 to $267,243, or over 17 per cent. of the total for the country. Most of the gypsum is found in Kent County. Among the other minerals may be mentioned Portland cement, which was produced to the value of $1,128,290; coal, $1,753,064; gold, 81,000 oz.; mineral waters (in the production of which Michigan leads all other States), $1,195,614; and various clays (furnishing material for the manufacture of bricks, tiles, and pottery), $1,542,034. These figures were for 1901. See the section on Mining in the article .

. The southern half of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan has been generally cleared of its forests, and being of great fertility, is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the Union. Originally a large part of it was considered irreclaimable because of its extensive swamp areas, but these have been very greatly reduced by drainage. The northern part of the Lower Peninsula, and the Upper Peninsula, are more extensively wooded, and a considerable portion of the latter is too rugged to be adaptable for agriculture. The farming area is continually spreading to the northward, and every decade has witnessed large additions to the farm acreage. In 1900, 17,561,698 acres, or 47.8 per cent. of the total area, was included in farms, of which 67.2 per cent. were improved. In Michigan the average size of farms is smaller than in other North Central States, the average in Michigan in 1900 being 80.4 acres. In the northern peninsula the farms are generally larger than in the southern. In 1900, 32.4 per cent. of the farm area of the State was included in farms, which ranged in size from 100 to 174 acres; and 30.2 per cent. of the farm area was included in farms of from 50 to 99 acres. The percentage of rented farms is not large, 4.8 per cent. being rented for cash rent and 11.1 per cent. on shares. The agricultural products are not characterized by the predominance of any one crop. The northern location of Michigan adapts it as a whole to the production of wheat, oats, and the hardier cereals rather than corn, yet corn is largely raised south of the 43d parallel. In the table appended the acreage shown for corn, oats, and barley in the last census year is scarcely normal, since a late spring had reduced the acreage of the two last, resulting in turn in an increase in the acreage of the former. Wheat in the decade 1890-1900 more than regained the amount lost in the preceding decade. Michigan ranks third in the production of buckwheat, and is also one of the leading States in the production of rye. Hay and forage are extensively raised, the total acreage devoted to them being greater than that of any other crop.

The State has become noteworthy for vegetables and fruits. The great fertility of the soil, the influence of the lakes in moderating the climate, and the easy access to large markets—particularly Chicago—have favored this branch of agriculture. New York alone exceeds Michigan in the area devoted to potatoes. In 1900 this acreage was 57.2 per cent, greater than in 1890, the absolute gain being greater than that made by any other State. The State is far in the lead of all others in the production of beans, peas, and celery, and produces the bulk of the peppermint and chicory of the country. The number of fruit trees about doubled in the decade 1890-1900. More than half of the gain was in the number of peach trees, of which there were 8,104,415 in 1900. The number of plum trees in that year was more than eight times the number reported for 1890; and other varieties of trees also increased remarkably. The number