.MANUFACTI_ RES. Manufacturing is of much importance, and has played an important part from the first settlement of the State. In 1850 5.2 per cent. of the population were engaged as wage-earners in that industry. In 1900 the per cent. of the population thus engaged was 9.1, a little less than the figure for 1890, though the actual number employed in the former year (108, 300) was greater. The value of products in creased during that decade 41.3 per cent., reach ing $242,752,000 in 1900. The urban manufac tures of the State are confined mainly to the city of Baltimore, the prominence of the manufactur ing industry in the State being due largely to the commercial advantages of that city. The largest and most important group of manufactures draws extensively from the agricultural products of the State. The canning and preserving of fruits and vegetables, though of recent development, has become the most important in the State; the increase during the decade 1890-1900 was 60.7 per cent. California alone exceeds Maryland in this industry. The tobacco manufactures are also increasing, the growth, however, being con fined to the manufacture of chewing and smoking tobaccos and snuff. The canning of oysters gives employment to many hands. The other indus tries belonging to this group import their raw materials largely from outside States. Of these the slaughtering and meat-packing industry made the largest gains during the last census decade. The dour and grist milling industry and the manufacture of textiles are long established in dustries. Baltimore is the largest producer of cotton duck in the United States.
Another group of industries is of note--iron manufactures. The iron ore was at first secured from the State mines, but when the Lake Superior region was developed the grade of ore was so much higher than the Maryland product that it rendered the latter unprofitable and greatly re duced the extent of the dependent industries.
More recently ore has been imported from Cuba, and the industry has revived. Fuel is secured from the mines of Pennsylvania and West Vir ginia. During the decade 1890-1900 the value of the iron and steel product increased 204.6 uer cent. There are now extensive shipments of steel rails to foreign markets. The revival of the industry is reflected in foundry and machine shop industries, whose products increased 113 per cent. during the same period. The same is true of shipbuilding. During the colonial period and the first half of the nineteenth century this industry was very prominent. The `Baltimore clippers' were world famous and were instrumental in greatly extending the State's commerce. When iron and steel were substituted for wood in ship building, the industry declined. Since the recent revival vessels have been constructed for the United States Navy. A less important group of manufactures derives its raw materials from the forest resources of the State and adjoining regions. Almost all the merchantable timber has been cut away in the region east of the Blue Ridge, and the pine and much of the hard wood have been cut from the western part of the State. The entire wooded area is estimated at 44 per cent. of the land area.
The most significant gain during the decade 1890-1900 was in the production of paper and wood pulp. A large increase was also made in the value of the lumber and timber products, planing mill products, and furniture. The ex tensive cultivation of fruits and vegetables has made a demand for fertilizers and the manufac ture of this product is one of the principal indus tries. The table on following page covers the fourteen leading industries for the years 1890 and 1900.