The Lake County star., 1877-11-01
gravel and clay intermixed. and IL un.
surpassed for agricultural purposes.

gravel and clay intermixed, and IL un-
surpassed for agricultural purposes.
FRUIT.
AS fruit growing State II stands In
the very first rank. Apples, peaches,
pears, plums and grapes are produced
In abundance; and Of such quality as
to be sought for In all markets accessi-
BILE, and in quantities to become
source Of enormous revenue. The
peach and apple orchards are widely.
celebrated. while small fruits are 60
abundant In their season as 10 be ac-
cessible to the poorest families.
FISH.
With its vast coast line and numer-
Gus interior lakes aud streams, the
fisheries OF the State are important;
furnishing employment TO large num-
bers and source Of no inconsiderable
revenue. We give few extracts from
the first report Of the State Commis-
sioners and Superintendent of State
fisheries for the State of Michigan for
the year ending December 1, 1874,
which will give good idea of the
wealth and resources of our State in
this direction.
1--WE now come to Michigan as fish
State, and here we find u natural mine
of wealth and resources well calculated.
. 81 Il
all her people. No State of the entire
thirty-seven exceeds, nor indeed equals
her In her natural fish supply and
advantages. Her lake coast Is more
than l 400 miles long, and the comput-
ed area of water surface within hel
constitutional limits Is SO, ,324 square
miles. A broad and beautiful penin-
sula, land when the ship canal, an
event not improbable, shall mark her
southern boundary, an island), her
geographical position on the fish map
of the country, rs well as her physical
constitution, are all that can be desired.
North, east, and west, she is bounded
by chain of lakes the largest and
grandest that exist on the globe, which
lakes In the new nomenclature prob
able on the more full and perfect es-
tablishment of fish industry, will be
known as the great uns0ited seas, and
so Michigan will pass to "a sea-6oard
State, clothed with such honor and
profit as in the esteem Of the sister
States attach to her new condition.
Not only are her bordering waters very
seas in magnitude and In the variety
aud chOiceness Of their productions,
but in the number and value of her
inland waters also no equal area of
territory throughout the entire Union
Is before hers. Scarcely section of
her fifty-six thousand two hundred and
forty. three square miles that is not bor-
dered by river or rivulet, or dotted by
lake or lakelet. Journey where or how
you will, by rail or boat, or behind the
fleet roadsters on any OF the peoples
highways, keeping within the map OF
the State, and water Is almost IA con-
slant to the view as are forests and
cultivated farms. So many are the
rivers and streams that debouch into
Northern Lake Michigan, Lakes Su-
perior and Huron, that MANY await
the Kind offices Of some future Adam
to give To them their appropriate
names. So, too, not a few lakes are
In the same unhappy dilemma, wait
ing the coming Of the ambitious fish
propagandist to bestow upon them his
patrOnymic and blessing.
The water, wherever examinations
have been made, is found to be good,
and In nearly all cases well suited to
the needs and necessities of successful
fish culture. So cold, and pure, and
constant are many Of the lakes, streams
aud springs that everywhere abound,
the opinion obtains that they derive
their supplies by subterrancan open
ings or passages with the great b0r-
dering lakes. Nor is this opinion
wholly without foundation; certain
1t Is, whether from this or other
cause, not now important to deter
mine, that in purity, steadiness of flow
and supply, and i'm all these requisites
and adaptations for producing varied
and valuable fin life, the waters Of
Michigan contrast favorably with those
OF any State or section of the country.
LUMBER.
The lumber trade of the State Is
simply immense, and one of its chief
interests. Its timber consists of vari-
GUS kinds, such rs pine, spruce, hem
lock, oak, walnut, hickory, hard and
soft maple, ash, ,elm, cherry, white wood,
etc. The greatest growth is the white
pine, of which there Is produced about
5000, ,000, 600 feet Of lumber annually.
and of superior quality. In the older
sections Of the State, considerable
quantities Of walnutand cherry timber
have been left standing, and these,
furniture makers are now hunting up
and paying literally for. The trade IN
live oak, for ship-buildlng, is very
great. Aside from that used iu the
| construction of vessels i'm the ship
yards along our own coast, vast quan-
titles Of 1t are annually shipped to
| Quebec. Montreal, Cleveland and Buff
falo. At interior points and back from
streams, where there are no facilities
foi forwarding heavy ship timbers, oak
Is manufactured into slaves. OF these,
ten to twelve millions are annually
shipped from this Slate, mainly to
Europe and the West Indies. There
Is also considerable trade in the hard or
sugar maple, birds eye maple, white
ash and other woods, used for cabinet
work and agricultural implements.
SALT.
Salt manufacture Is also prominent
branch of the CONNIE rcial industry Of
the State. Most of this is found in the
Saginaw Valley and in Huron and
Macomb counties and East Tawas, but
new veins are being discovered, aud
no doubt 1t exists in many other locali-
ties within its boundaries. The quail
ity is not easily excelled, and 1t is rap
idly taking the precedence in all the
Western markets. At White Rock, In
Huron county, rock salt IL found at a
depth of over 100 feet, the brine from
which Is said to be purer aud stronger
than that from any other salt works.
COAL.
Biologists have long since demon