INIANUFACTURES. :Nlichigau's prominence as a manufacturing State is largely due to its enor mous timber resources. :1 description of which with their produets will be found below. The percentage of the population engaged in the manufacturing industry was 2.3 in 1850, and 7.1 in 1890, l,ul declined to 0.7 per cent. in 1900. The number engaged increased 91.0 per cent. be 1880 and 1S90. but only 9.2 per eent. in the following decade. the actual number of employed in 1900 twing 102.300, The smaller growth of the latter deeade is due to the diminish ing forest resourees. The employment lig,ures are noteworthy because of the small number of dren included, the result of the State law which forbids ehildren from working in any establish ment. After the timber products the most impor tant are those \\Adel' depend on the agricultural resourees the Slate. The flouring and grist mill industry is quite extensive. In recent years it has shown a tendency to centralize at points convenient to water-power or superior shipping facilities. paler industries which belong to this group are slaughtering and meat-paeking, the inannfneture of malt licpwrs• beet sugar, and the tanning. eurrying, and finishing of leather, all of which are in a flourishing condition. The State facilities for the leather industry are full of promise, inasmuch as it is found more economical to transport the hides to the tanning-bark region in Alichigan than to transport the bark to outside centres. The State ranks second in the produc tion of beet sugar, the industry having developed Wholly front 1890 to 1900.
The abundant high-grade iron ores obtained in the northern peninsula are within easy reach of the manufacturing centres in the south, but the inferiority of the State's coal resources greatly hinders the development of those industries which the local wealth of iron ore would otherwise guar antee. The iron and steel industry gained very little from 1,890 to 1900, lint the products of the foundry and machine shop increased 51.3 per cent. during that period. The industry is well distrib uted throughout the State. and is the third largest of the State's manufactures. The manu facture of cars is allot her of the State's lending industries, and a thriving chemical manufactur ing business is located in Detroit. The advan tages of Detroit for transportation, being located conveniently for lake navigation, and at the point of union between the railroad systems of Canada and the States, make that city the largest manu facturing centre in the State. The other manufac
turing points are also in the older developed southern portion of the State, where the access to the country's markets is easiest. A decided tendency toward centralization is evident in a nummber of industries.
The table on the following page shows the rel ative importance of the leading industries for the years indicated.
FoaEsTs AND FonEsT l'aont:t7s. From the table on the following page, it may he seen that the lumber industry and those with+ use its prod ucts constitute together the most important group of manufactures in the State. The greater portion of the forests were formerly conifers, though hard woods were intermingled with these in the south. The white pine was originally the most usual vari ety, but has been so extensi vely dra 1\11 upon that the estimated stand of timber in 1890-0010,000,000 feet—was less than one-sixth the amount of the estimate in 1880. Ilendoek is the most impor tant of the other conifers. Naple. elm. hasswood. 11.11, and white oak are the most important hard woods. The lumber and timber product had not aequired large proportions until about 1870. but from that date until 1890 the State ranked first in the value of its product. It suffered a heavy decline in the following years, and was exceeded in 1900 by Wisconsin. The total forest area, in eluding stump land, was estimated in 1900 at 38,000 square Miles. The method of exploiting the forests has been extremely wasteful. but a sentiment has developed in the State in favor of the applieat ion of approved methods of forestry, and a commission has been erented to secure bet ter protect inn for the forests.
In the earlier lumbering period the logs were ustmfly floated to the mills located on the rivers and lakes. With the extension of railroads into the lumbering, region the mills were established closer to the supply of timber. Tt will be seen from the following table that. although the value of lumber and timber produets deereased from 1890 to 1900. till the industries using these prnd nets made noteworthy gains, partienlarly the manufacture of carriages and wagons and furni ture. The furniture industry is centred largely in Grand Rapids, where it has been promoted especially by means of semi-annual fairs.