42 



Michigan. The upper peninsula and the northern 

 half of the lower peninsula were originally covered with 

 heavy forests of conifers, consisting mainly of white pine. 

 Southward, in the lower peninsula, hard woods were 

 intermingled in increasing proportion, while the south- 

 ern part was largely prairie. The result of a half 

 century of lumbering is to reduce the white pine to a 

 small f raction of its former stand, to cut much of the 

 hard wood, and to make a good beginning on the other 

 conifers. Much of the southern part of the lower 

 peninsula has been cleared for cultivation. 



The woodland of the state, including stump lands, is 

 estimated to have an area of 38,000 square miles, or 67 

 per cent of the estimated area. The stand of white 

 pine was estimated by Sargent in 1880 at 35 billion feet, 

 which, judging from the amount subsequently cut and 

 that now supposed to be standing, was probably not far 

 from correct. In 1896 Professor Fernow estimated the 

 coniferous stand at 18 billion feet, of which 6 billions 

 was white pine. The last item is somewhat small, as 

 the cut, plus the amount reported as owned, two 

 items which we know quite definitely, foot up more 

 than 6 billion feet. 



With a relatively small production in 1850 and 1860, 

 Michigan leaped in 1870 into the leading position as a 

 lumber state and maintained that position until 1900, 

 when, owing to the partial exhaustion of her resources, 

 she fell slightly behind Wisconsin, but still remains the 

 second state in the production of lumber. 



LUMBER INDUSTRY. 



TIMBER OWNED AND CUT, BY SPECIES, AND AVERAGE 



STAND. 



Wisconsin. The northern part of Wisconsin was 

 formerly covered with coniferous forests, consisting 

 mainly of white pine. Southward these forests changed 

 into hard wood, which in the southern part of the 

 state were broken by prairies. Lumbermen have cut 

 much of the pine, although that species is still far the 

 largest product of its mills, forming two-thirds of the 

 cut, and Wisconsin is still the chief contributor to the 

 country's supply of this species. 



The woodland of the state, including stump land, is 

 estimated to have an area of 31,750 square miles, or 58 

 per cent of its area. An estimate of the stand of white 

 pine was made by Sargent in 1880, showing 41 billion 

 feet. Another estimate by Roth in 1897 gave 17 

 billions. In the interval 50 billions had been cut. 

 Since 1897 about 7,500 millions have been cut, and the 

 cut is increasing, rather than diminishing. Moreover, 

 there are reported as owned by lumbermen 4,750 mil- 

 lion feet. These facts suggest the probability that Dr. 

 Roth's estimate may be rather small. 



The lumber industry did not acquire great promi- 

 nence in the state until 1870. In 1880 it occupied third 

 place, being exceeded by Pennsylvania and Michigan. 

 In 1890 it rose to second place, and in 1900 had the 

 largest product of all the states. 



LUMBER INDUSTRY. 



TIMBER OWNED AND CUT, BY SPECIES, AND AVERAGE 

 STAND. 



Minnesota. This, the latest of the Lake states to 

 develop a great lumber industry, was, like Michigan 

 and Wisconsin, heavily timbered, mainly with white pine 

 in the northern portion, while the Red River Valley on 

 the west and the southern portion were largely prairie, 

 with a belt of mixed hard-wood forests intervening. 



Lumbering has been carried on actively for thirty 

 years, and a large part of the pine has been removed. 

 The woodland of the state, including stump lands, is 

 estimated at 52,200 square miles, or 66 per cent of the 

 total area. The stand of timber has been variously 

 estimated. In 1880 Sargent estimated the stand of 

 white pine remaining at 8,170 million feet. Since then 



