44 THE MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



There is a record of three sections, in the southwest corner of Missaukee 

 county, and the southeast of Wexford, which cut respectively 27,324,000, 

 28,824.000 and 28,715,000, an average of 44,200 feet per acre. ' 



Between the years of 1870 and 1880 the pine lumber business acquired 

 an immense volume, exceeding 2,000,000,000 of feet in the aggregate in 

 this State, and during that period had become the leading industry of the 

 northwest. The production in 1884 had reached 8,000,000,000 of feet 

 for the northwest, of which Michigan contributed nearly one-half. The 

 highest point of production was reached in the year 1892, with a total 

 fo 9,000,000,000 feet in the northwest, when the Michigan production 

 reached fully 4,000,000,000 feet. 



Governor Jerome, in his inaugural message, January, 1881, estimated 

 the annual lumber product of the State at fOO.OOO.OOO.' 



As I have quoted estimates given by Mr. George W. Hotchkiss, I should 

 say that Mr. Hotchkiss was for nearly fifty years closely connected with 

 the lumber interests, first as a lumberman, then for years after as pub- 

 lisher or associate editor of magazines devoted to lumber interests ; first 

 with the ''Saginaw Courier," afterwards with the "Lundierman's Ga- 

 zette," and an editorial writer on the statf of the "Northwestern Lumber- 

 man;" and for many years was secretary of the Lumberman's Exchange 

 of Chicago. After that he was owner of the "Lumber Trade Journal." 



In considering the estimates of the total volume of lumber production 

 of this State, it is only fair to consider what may be called the bye- 

 products of the forest, as lath, pickets and fuel, usually made from slabs 

 and other waste of saw mills. The total of the amounts so utilized is 

 estimated from the beginning of lumber operations to 1897 as about 3,000 

 million feet. 



It is more difficult to make an estimate of the total products of hard- 

 wood of the State, utilized in commerce and home manufacture, as no ex- 

 act records have been kept, as there have been of the pine, during the most 

 important years of its production and use; but it is estimated as about 

 20 per cent of the pine, which would make a total volume of something 

 over 25 billion of feet. Twenty-two of the southern counties of the State 

 are almost exclusively in hardwood, and as early as 1837 there were 

 435 mills in operation. 



The })roduction of the cedar industry has been an im])ortant element 

 in the lumber product of the State. Its use as railroad ties, posts for 

 fences and paving, is estimated at 12,000 million feet, board measure. 

 Of recent years hemlock has been freely used, as well as oak, for ties and 

 for coarse building purposes. There has also been very extensive use of 

 hoops, headings, and barrel staves of black ash, soft elm, red oak and bass- 

 wood. The total ])roduction of all other wood than pine is placed at 

 50,000 million, reduced to board measure. 



The total production of pine which we have outlined above is 161,475 

 million feet, and with the estimate given for the hard-wood, cedar, etc., 

 aniounts to a total forest production for Michigan of 211.475 million 

 feet. The average sale value at the point of manufacture taken as |13 

 per thousand, gives : 



Pine 12,099,175,000 



Hard-wood, cedar, etc 550,000,000 



A total forest production for Michigan |2,649,175,000 



