AGRICULTURE. 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 por tion of the latter is too rugged to be adaptable for agriculture. The farming area is continually spreading to the northward, and decade has witnessed large additions to the farm acreage.
In 1900, 17,561,098 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 86.4 aeres. in the northern peninsula the farms are generally larger than in the south ern. to 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 ILI per cent. on shares. The agricultural products are not characte•ized 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 43e1 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 forme•. Wheat in the decade 1890-'1900 more than regained the amount lost in the preceding decade. 11fichigan ranks third in the
production of buckwheat, and is also one of the leading States in the production of rye. Ilay and fm-age are extensively raised, the total acreage devoted to them being greater than that of any other crop.
The State has become noteworthy for vegeta bles and fruits. The great fertility of the soil, the influence of the lakes in moderating the climate', and the easy access to large markets partieularly Chicago—have favored this branch of agriculture. New York alone exceeds Michi gan 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 hulk of the peppermint and chicory of the country. The num ber of fruit trees about doubled in the decade Slot• than half of the gain was in the number of peaeh trees, of which there were 8.104,415 in 1900. The nunthe• of plum trees in that year was more than eight times the nnm be• reported for 1890; and other varieties of trees also increased remarkably. The number of apple trees is still in excess of ally other variety, there being, in 1900, 10.927,890. The most marked recent gains have been in the counties bordering on Lake :Michigan. The soil is well adapted to beet culture. .Michigan sur passes every other State in the acreage of sugar beets. While the industry began as early as 188O, its thief development has been since 1890. Large additions have been made to the beet growing area since the census year shown in the table.
The following figures show the acreage of the leading crops for the census years indicated: