482 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



industry. A few of the best herds of the country have been produced in 

 this part of Michigan. 



Potatoes, celery, and vegetables grown in this section have a quality 

 and flavor which is unexcelled. The county abounds in delicious wild 

 fruits, and the present development of small fruits and tree fruits is 

 an indication that their acreage will be greatly increased in the future. 

 Conditions in this section also favor successful commercial bee keeping. 



In short, the natural advantages of the Upper Peninsula are such as 

 to indicate extensive growth and development for this section. 



Educational op])()rtunities offered in this section are varied and 

 highly developed. Most of the communities possess graded schools 

 located within reasonable distance of all homes, or they have the town- 

 ship plan of organization, in which there is a very high type of super- 

 vision. The rural school without township supervision is not, in some 

 instances, all that might be desired, but the situation is being corrected 

 rapid 1}'. It can be siaid in this connection that the rural vsituation 

 in the Upper Peninsula is no worse than it is anywhere else. The 

 standards of the rural school teachers of Michigan are much higher than 

 they are in most states of the country, and so the school opportunities 

 in most quarters are very good indeed. 



Among the state educational institutions in the district, the Michigan 

 College of Mines and the Michigan State Normal School are noted for 

 their activities and enterprise. Four-year courses leading to the A. B. 

 degree are offered at the schools. 



A large and increasing mileage of good roads constructed and under 

 construction alloAv great opportunities for development in the Upper 

 Peninsula. Transportation facilities, taken in conjunction with the sec- 

 tion's proximity to the big markets, such as Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo, 

 Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Duluth, guarantee adequate market outlets. 



The Three Great Industries. 



The three great industries of the Upper Peninsula are mining, lumber- 

 ing, and agriculture. Of these agriculture, because of its great possi- 

 bilities in the section, is destined to become the most important. Mining 

 and lumbering, however, are of importance in their relation to the de- 

 velopment of agriculture, and a brief summary of the scope of these 

 industries is of interest. 



MINING. 



According to the United States Geological Survey of 191G, the 

 total copper production in Michigan was 273,692,525 pounds, valued at 

 |G7,328,3G1, and the silver production was 710,64:0 ounces, valued at 

 1471,549, giving a combined value of |67,799,910. This is an output of 

 45 per cent over the value of the output in 1915 and is considered a 

 record production for the district up to that time. A total of |28,840,34S 

 was paid in dividends by fifteen companies, in comparison with $15,000,- 

 000 paid by ten companies in 1915. 



Iron production in Michigan in 1916 was 18,812,972 tons, valued at 

 $45,848,330. The appraised value of Michigan iron mines in 1916 was 

 $72,997,360 and the ore in stock |19,193,548, a total combined value of 

 mines and ore in stock of 192,190,908. 



