MICHIGAN LIVE STOCK IN 1900. 375 



THE PRODUCTION OF WHEAT IN MICHIGAN. 



O. C. HOWE, CHIEF OF DIVISION OF STATISTICS, DEPARTMENT OF STATE. 



In the diversification of her industries and resources Michigan stands 

 first among- the states of the Union. While this naturally prevents 

 the State from being especially noted for its mining or manufacturing 

 interests, or for the amount of its agricultural productions, yet the 

 numerous vocations to which the people are enabled to devote their 

 attention insure a more general and lasting prosperity for a series of 

 years. The people who came here in the early days of the history of 

 this State, of necessity turned their attention to agricultural pursuits. 

 In numy places the prairies were soon covered with growing grain, while 

 in other sections the forest needed to be cleared away before the land 

 could be devoted to the grow'ing of crops. From that time to the 

 present, nearly a centurj', agriculture has been a prominent industry in 

 Michigan. The untiring efforts of the thousands of tillers of the soil 

 have converted, out of an almost unbroken wilderness, thousands of 

 farms yielding abundantly in crops and thus enriching their owners. 



In 1890 the most important industries in the United States were, in 

 their order, manufactures, agriculture, transportation, mining and fish- 

 eries. In ea"h of these Michigan had, at that time, made a reputable 

 progress, with a fair prospect that each would continue to develop. 

 Since then another decade has passed and it is now- the duty of every 

 thinking, jiatriotic citizen to study carefully the trend affairs have taken 

 during these years, and to ascertain correctly the situation at the pres- 

 ent time, in order that the future may be shaped with the idea in view 

 of conserving what has been gained and also of rebuilding where a 

 loss has occurred. 



The student of conditions in this State will find that we have made 

 good growth along manufacturing lines; the possible exception is in 

 the manufacture of lumber, but Michigan can never again rank first 

 in that respect until nature has once more covered the lower peninsula 

 with forest trees. The development of our mines still continues, and 

 as the output of coal and the manufacture of coke increases we will be 

 able to convert more ^pf the iron ore into ])ig iron, or, better still, a 

 finished product. We are also still increasing along commercial lines. 

 The railway systems are constantly at work increasing the efficiency 

 of their roads, all of which is warranted by the growth of their business, 

 and the (ireat Lakes boi-dci-ing on our State are floating hundreds of 

 boats, ])lying back and forth with their tons of burden, materially 

 increasing the wealth of Michigan and also furnishing employment for 

 many of her citizens. 



While it is true that wc havi^ made an advancement in almost every 

 way, morally, intellectually and financially, still one could hardly main- 

 tain without successful contradiction that agriculture in this State 

 had developed like the other industries and at the present time had 

 a ])leasant ]>rospect f(»r the future. Whether anyone is especially to 



