“ 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 guarantee. The iron and steel industry gained very little from 1890 to 1900, but the products of the foundry and machine shop increased 54.3 per cent. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The soil on the whole is extremely fertile, being made up of the glacial detritus of limestones, 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.
Mineral Resources. 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. ”

“ The position of Michigan relative to Canada has resulted in giving it a large Canadian element—greater than that of any other State except Massachusetts. The Canadians form the most numerous foreign-born element in the State. They predominate in many northern localities. The German-born population is second in importance among the foreign-born. The total foreign-born population in 1900 was 521,653. In that year there were 26 cities having each over 8000 inhabitants, and aggregating 30.9 per cent. of the total population. ”

“ The most marked recent gains have been in the counties bordering on Lake Michigan. The soil is well adapted to beet culture. Michigan surpasses every other State in the acreage of sugar beets. While the industry began as early as 1880, its chief development has been since 1890. Large additions have been made to the beet-growing area since the census year shown in the table. ”

“ Manufactures. Michigan's prominence as a manufacturing State is largely due to its enormous timber resources, a description of which with their products will be found below. The percentage of the population engaged in the manufacturing industry was 2.3 in 1850, and 7.1 in 1890, but declined to 6.7 per cent. in 1900. The number engaged increased 91.6 per cent. between 1880 and 1890, but only 9.2 per cent. in the following decade, the actual number of persons employed in 1900 being 162,300. The smaller growth of the latter decade is due to the diminishing forest resources. ”

“ There are county boards of three school examiners, who determine the qualifications of persons proposing to teach in public schools; township boards of three school inspectors, whose title indicates their work; and district boards of six trustees for graded school districts and boards of three trustees for ungraded ones, their duties being to look after the educational interests of the respective districts, specify the studies to be pursued, prescribe textbooks, and elect teachers. No separate school for any race is allowed. ”

“ A large mileage, however, was early recorded for the southern part of the State, and railway construction has steadily spread to the northward, until recently almost every region is well supplied with railway advantages. Detroit ranks first among the lake ports in the amount of its exports, and second in the amount of its imports. The customs districts Huron and Superior also have a large foreign trade, and a small trade is done from the Michigan district. ”

“ Every sixteenth year, and oftener if provided by law, the question of the general revision of the Constitution is submitted to the electors, and if approved by a majority vote a convention must be called by the Legislature for that purpose. Suffrage is granted to male citizens above twenty-one years of age, who have resided in the State six months, and in the township or ward twenty days. ”

“ The increased interest in mining and fruit and vegetable raising has tended to lessen the attention paid to stock-raising. There were, however, noteworthy increases in the number of dairy cows and other neat cattle from 1890 to 1900. The number of horses and of swine has increased every decade since 1850. The number of sheep reached a maximum in 1890, the following decade showing a decrease of 32.3 per cent., but the number in 1900 was exceeded in only one State east of the Mississippi River—Ohio. ”

“ The rate of gain for the last decade was 15.6 per cent., as against 20.7 per cent. for the United States. From twenty-seventh in rank in 1830, the State rose to ninth in 1880, where it has remained. The density of the population is 42 persons to the square mile. The prairie region in the south was naturally the first portion of the State settled, and the mass of the population is still found in the southern half of the Lower Peninsula. The population is steadily increasing, however, in the more northern regions. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Each county biennially elects a sheriff, clerk, treasurer, register of deeds, and a prosecuting attorney, the sheriff not being eligible to office more than four years in any period of six years. The board of supervisors, composed of one representative from each organized township, has charge of bridges, etc., and may raise by tax $1000 per year, or a greater amount, if the electors consent. ”

“ Schools must be unsectarian and must be taught at least nine months in districts having eight hundred or more youths of school age, and at least five months in districts having from thirty to eight hundred, and three months in smaller districts. In 1899-1900 there were 15,564 teachers, of whom 12,093 were females. The average monthly wages of men in 1900 were $44.48, and of women $35.35. The State contains normal schools at Mount Pleasant, Ypsilanti, and Marquette. ”

“ The State must not subscribe to the stock of any company, shall not lend its credit to any one, and must not undertake any internal improvement unless it possesses a specific grant of land or other property for that purpose. The income of the State grows steadily, and was $1,510,000 in 1870, $2,607,000 in 1880, and $3,181,000 in 1890. ”

“ The legal rate of interest is 6 per cent.; 10 per cent. is allowed by contract. The penalty for usury is forfeiture of debt if over 12 per cent. A local-option liquor law was passed in 1887, under which both manufacture and sale may be prohibited within the county. A married woman may carry on business in her own name, and her property is not liable for the debts of her husband.
Michigan has twelve members in the National House of Representatives. The capital of the State is Lansing. ”

“ The employment figures are noteworthy because of the small number of children included, the result of the State law which forbids children from working in any establishment. After the timber products the most important are those which depend on the agricultural resources of the State. The flouring and gristmill industry is quite extensive. ”

“ Other industries which belong to this group are slaughtering and meat-packing, the manufacture of malt liquors, beet sugar, and the tanning, currying, and finishing of leather, all of which are in a flourishing condition. ”

“ They are valuable sources of water supply, and when they disappear their beds furnish a black muck soil with a shell marl subsoil which is excellent for garden culture. Other lakes owe their origin to the erosion of limestone forming caves and sink holes, or to the sand bars built across the mouths of bays or rivers by the Great Lakes at the present or at a higher stage of elevation. ”

“ The white pine was originally the most usual variety, but has been so extensively drawn upon that the estimated stand of timber in 1896—6,000,000,000 feet—was less than one-sixth the amount of the estimate in 1880. Hemlock is the most important of the other conifers. Maple, elm, basswood, ash, and white oak are the most important hard woods. ”