y per cent.

By Custom House statements of shipments, added to actual receipts at
one of the receiving points--Chicago--it will be seen below that for
1859 a little over 269,000,000 feet is the amount of shipments arrived
at. These figures, taken in connection with the estimates of those
competent to judge, render it certain that the actual amount shipped
out of the State did not vary materially from 400,000,000 feet. There
being no penalty involved in the failure of masters of vessels to
report, there is great carelessness in the matter. The Cleveland,
Toledo and Sandusky shipments, are at the outside, not more than half
reported. Those reported to Buffalo, Oswego, etc., are a little nearer
the truth, but they fall considerably below the mark.

The amount made in 1859, did not vary materially from that shipped. In
the district embracing the River St. Clair, Port Huron and the Lake
Shore, 6,000,000 feet more were wintered over last year than this. On
the west coast it was different generally, so that the variation in
the aggregate cannot be much either way. The capacity of the mills in
the pine lumber region is 900,000,000 feet, or possibly a little more.

As regards the amount of shingles made, even dealers are much in the
dark. To add 50 per cent. to the Custom House returns would certainly
be within bounds for the eastern coast. This would give 120,000,000
as the amount. For the west coast, if we take the amount received at
Chicago, say 165,000,000, with an additional twenty-five per cent. for
that received at Milwaukee, and then estimate that two-thirds of the
whole amount were from the west coast of Michigan, which is doubtless
true, we have 137,500,000 as the amount shipped by the coast, making
267,500,000 for the whole State.

The improved demand for staves has greatly stimulated the production,
and in localities where the production of pine lumber is decreasing,
that of staves is taking its place. At Saginaw 2,500,000 were got out
last year, and this year there will be full as much, or more. The
greatest activity prevails, and dressing by machinery has been
started. At Lakeport, Burchville, Lexington, Port Sanilac, Forester,
Point aux Barque, and Foresterville, 850,000 were got out last year;
from Port Huron and St. Clair 750,000. The amount turned out in the
whole State could not have been short of 20,000,000.

An immense amount of lath were turned out. A mill that can turn out
three millions of lumber, ge