778 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



Value of the catch to the fishermen $50,996 



Value of the buildings, teams, and fixtures of the Boston wholesale markets $10, 000 



Active capital invested in the Boston wholesale markets $20, 000 



Quantity of lobsters handled by the Boston wholesale dealers from all sources, in 



pounds 3, 637, 687 



Value of same at fishermen's prices $133, 381 



Value of same at wholesalers' prices $169,758 



Enhancement in value of the lobsters handled in Boston, being the difference between 



the fishermen's and wholesalers' prices $36,377 



PLYMOUTH DISTRICT. 



Plymouth district contains the lobster-fishing ports of Scituate, Duxbury, and Plymouth. The 

 principal season is from April to September, the pots being set near shore, in depths of a few to 15 

 fathoms. Off Plymouth the fishing grounds are all within 1 J miles of the shore, and extend from 

 Cut River on the north to Sandwich on the south. One-half of the catch is marketed at 

 home, being sold in part to the neighboring towns, aud one-half is disposed of to smacks from 

 Boston, New York, and New Haven. Lobsters are said to have been very large and abundant in 

 this region at one time, but to have decreased greatly both in size and numbers, within the past 

 few years. The season's catch for 1880 was, however, quite large. The average number of 

 marketable lobsters taken to a trap is said to be about one per day. Sixty pots on an average 

 are used by each man. The fishery is carried on in small open boats or dories, the men going 

 singly. The average earnings per man for 18SO were about $300. The business is said to have 

 declined one-half during the past five years. 



Summation of the, lobster fisheries in Plymouth ilistrk-t in I-' 11 . 



Number of fishermen 



Number of boats 74 



Value of same $1,020 



Number of lobster pots 



Valueofsame $4,500 



Total amount of capital invested $5, 520 



Number of barrelsof bait used 1,440 



Value of same 



Quantity of lobst. rs taken and disposed of, in pounds . ?-Jl,050 



Value of same to the fishermen 8-6, 438 



BARNSTABLE DISTRICT. 



This once exceedingly important district, which furnished at one time a very large proportion 

 of all the lobsters marketed in New York City, has so fallen off in its production that it now 

 stands among the poorest on the Massachusetts coast. It includes all of Cape Cod as far south 

 as Falmouth and Wood's Holl, which places also belong to it. Lobster fishing is now carried on 

 from Provincetowu, the Truros, Orleans, Chatham, Harwich (Monomoy), Barnstable, Cotuit, 

 Yarmouth Port, and Wood's Holl. 



Provincetown was formerly the center of one of the most extensive lobster fisheries of our 

 coast, but now comparatively few men engage in this industry tLere, because of the great depletion 

 of the grounds in that vicinity, from long-continued overfishiug. The history of the lobster 

 fishery of Cape Cod has been given elsewhere. 



The lobster grounds of the vicinity of Provincetown cover most of the sandy bottoms along 

 the shore, out to a depth of 18 to 20 fathoms, where the area of mud, characterizing the deeper 

 waters, begins. The fishery is entirely confined to the sandy belt, the traps being mostly set in 

 depths of 4 to 15 fathoms. The season continues about five months, or from May to October, 

 lobsters being generally most abundant during July and August. Hoop-net pots were discarded 



