THE LUMBER TRADE OF GREEN BAY. 
405 
perity of other States. Now, a bushel of wheat is worth, in 
Oconto, twice what it is on Rock Prairie ; so is a bushel of 
oats, or a barrel of pork. Wheat, oats, potatoes, hay, (fee., 
yield as well in our pineries as they do on the prairies—and 
are said to be surer crops. A farmer, then, can make more 
money, though his land be one-third covered with stumps, here, 
than away from the pineries. The roads are fewer, and not as 
good—but the farmer will have less need of them—for he will 
find a good market at his own door for all he can raise. Schools 
are readily established; and before the new-comer has had 
time to grieve over the absence of such things, he finds them 
all in operation. 
The business of shingle-making has grown to be one of the 
most important in this region. I have no means at hand to 
give an idea of the amount of shingles manufactured within a 
year, but it is very large, requiring the active services of seve¬ 
ral vessels to carry them away from this port alone (Green 
Bay). By far the largest proportion of them are manufactured 
by the German and Belgian farmers in this vicinity. It af¬ 
fords them work for the winter, and gives a value to that pine 
which is so far inland as to prevent its being hauled out in the 
form of saw-logs. It is not unusual, during the sleighing sea¬ 
son, to see.caravans of shingle teams coming into Green Bay, 
equalling in size and quaintness what we hear of those which 
make annual pilgrimages from Pembina to St. Paul. 
Other branches of the busiijess are beginning^ to grow up 
and give additional winter work for the farmers—such as the 
manufacture of pine and oak staves, the getting out of ship- 
timber, (fee. All of these departments of industry, taken 
together, compensate, to a great extent, for the obstructions 
which our forests present to rapid farming ; and certainly 
leave no excuse for any man to be idle, winter or summer. 
Respectfully, your obedient servant, 
Ciiahles D. Robinson. 
Green Bay, Feb. 22, 1860. 
