MICHIGAN. 



517 



nal membership fee) by direct assessment upon 

 the insured. Insurance in these companies 

 does not exceed, except in infrequent cases, $2 

 on the $1,000 at risk, and the average cost is 

 much less. 

 There were, December 31st, doing business 



under national and State laws, 80 national 

 banks, 14 State banks, and 15 savings banks. 

 From the reports of national banks made De- 

 cember 28th, and of State and savings banks 

 made December 31st, the following table is 

 compiled : 



The cut of pine lumber for the year was in 

 excess of any former year, and, reducing shin- 

 gle and lath to board measure, aggregated 

 nearly 3,000,000,000 feet. The table on page 

 518, compiled for the Saginaw Courier, com- 

 paring the cut with former years, is both sug- 

 gestive and valuable. The compiler of the 

 table, probably the best authority in the State, 

 says : " As compared with other lumber-pro- 

 ducing districts, Michigan produces more than 

 double the quantity of Wisconsin, Minnesota, 

 and the Mississippi Valley together. Our max- 

 imum doubtless has been reached, and future 

 years will more likely show a diminution than 

 an increase in the consumption of pine tim- 

 ber." 



The following table, from the annual report 

 of the State Salt Inspector, shows the product 

 of salt for the 9 years the inspection laws have 

 been in operation : 



The cost of production hat decreased from 

 $1.50 a barrel to 50 cents, and the price at the 

 works from $1.85 in 1868 to 85 cents per bar- 



rel in 1877. The inspector says that a great 

 want is now met by the manufacture of a 

 superior quality of dairy salt, of which he gives 

 the following analysis : 



Sulphate of lime 0.67 



Chloride of calcium 0.08 



Chloride of magnesia 0.09 



Choride of sodium 99.08 



Moisture 88 



The total product of the copper mines of the 

 Upper Peninsula, for the year ending Decem- 

 ber 81st, is given by the Mining Journal as 

 24,958 tons and 85 pounds. Total product 

 from 1845 to 1877, inclusive, 289,188 tons. 

 Ingot copper for 1877 (80 per cent, of product), 

 19,966 tons, valued at $7,586,480. Total value 

 of product from 1845 to 1877, $116,928,280. 

 Total assessments since 1845, by working mines, 

 $3,960,000. Total dividends paid in same 

 time, $21,870,600. Dividends paid in 1877, 

 $1,740,000. 



The amount of iron ore raised and shipped 

 in 1877, including 57,688 tons consumed by 

 local furnaces, was 1,018,520 tons (of 2,240 

 His.), valued on board of cars at $3,848,865. 

 Quartz for Bessemer converters, etc., 2,899 tons, 

 valued at $4,678. The aggregate product of 

 the iron mines (in ore), from 1866 to 1877 

 21 years is 10,649,874 tons; and of quartz for 

 Bessemer converters, 6,894 tons. The ship- 

 ment of pig-iron from the Lake Superior fur- 

 naces in 1877 was 29,685 tons (of 2,268 Ibs.), 

 valued at $686,885. Aggregate shipments of 

 pig-iron from 1858 to 1877 inclusive, 684,488 

 tons. 



The following statement of the crops of the 

 State for 1876 was obtained by the census re- 

 ported this year. A number of townships made 



