318 



One firm in this city handled during last year 7,000 bbls., -which, ac- 

 cording to his estimate, would be over one-eighth of the entire catch. 

 The shipments e&stward from this port during last year, were 16,797 

 bbls. The consumption of fresh fish in this city and vicinity is not less 

 than 4,000 bbls. annually, to which add 1,000 bbls. for home consump- 

 tion of salted fish, and we have nearly one half the above estimate 

 bandied in Detroit. We are of the opinion that the entire catch of 

 the lakes and tributary rivers will reach nearly 75,000 bbls., which at 

 an average of 88 60 per bbl. would net the producei-s 1637,500, or 

 about $90,000 more than the above estimate. 



WOOL. 



The wool clip of Michigan for 1855 has been estimated at 2,948,821 

 lbs. Of this amount 1,100,000 lbs. were purchased by Detroit dealers, for 

 which the sum of $366,000 was paid, or about an average of 30 cents 

 per lb. The receipts of wool by the Michigan Central Railroad for 

 the last two years, are shown as follows : 



Lhs. 



1855, 2,061,101 



1854, 1,347,397 



Excess in 1855, 713,704 



Of the 2,061,101 lbs. received in 1855, all except 346,127 lbs. was 

 received from way stations. The shipments from this port for two years 

 are as follows : 



Bales. 



1855, 16,818 



1854, 11,838 



Excess in 1855, 4,980 



The shipments are given in bales, the weight in most instances not 

 being entered on the shippers' books. These bales will vary in weight 

 from 100 to 200 lbs., the most of them, however, weighing from 150 

 to 200 lbs. each. Estimating them at 150 lbs. each, which is probably 

 a low average, the shipments from this place in 1855 would reach 2,- 

 422,700 lbs., nearly as much as the entire clip of the State, Owing 

 to the low prices which prevailed in 1854, a considerable portion of the 

 clip of that season was held over by the farmers; but in 1855, the 



