MAINE: DISTRICT OF PORTLAND AND FALMOUTH. 91 



dealers handled 27,000 quintals, in addition to those shipped by the cnrers of the islands. A con- 

 siderable portion of them were brought from the fishing towns farther east. 



The hake trade of Portland is largely controlled by Mr. Willard, who buys nearly all that are 

 caught by Portland vessels, as well as those from other portions of the State. The quantity 

 handled annually varies from 12,000 to 14,000 quintals, but in 1880 it reached fully 15,000. These 

 fish are all hard-dried and packed in eight-quintal drums. The greater part are sold to J. Van 

 Prague & Co., of Boston, who in turn export them to Surinam. 



No city in the United States offers so good a market for dried pollock a.s Portland. The trade 

 is controlled largely by the wholesale grocers, who buy all that are offered by the Maine fishermen, 

 and send to Cape Ann and the British Provinces for an additional supply. Mr. George Trefethen, 

 the principal dealer in pollock, writes as follows: 



" In reply to your inquiries about the pollock trade of Portland for 1880, 1 will state that the 

 catch has been very light. At Eastport [which has the most extensive fishery in the country], it 

 was almost a total failure. * * * I think there were about 18,000 quintals sold in Portland in 

 18SO. Of those handled by us, 30 per cent, were from Nova Scotia, 15 per cent, from Cape Ann, 

 40 per cent, from the Portland district, and the balance from the eastern part of the State, includ- 

 ing Eastport. The prices have ruled about 50 cents per quintal higher than in 1879, or $2 to $2.50 

 per quintal. The demand has been good all through the season, and the stock now on hand is not 

 more than 50 per cent, of what it was last year at this time. The prices are now [January 22, 

 1881 ] higher than for several years, owing to the small catch of last season, good light salted dry- 

 cured fish bringing 3 to 3J cents per pound." 



The grocers depend almost wholly for their trade on the counties of Cumberland and York, in 

 Maine, and Rockingham, Stratford, Belknap, and Merrimac, in New Hampshire. In most places 

 there is a foolish prejudice against pollock, and outside of the above-named and adjoining counties 

 there is little demand for them. Here, however, according to Mr. Trefetheu; they are esteemed 

 equally with the cod by a majority of the people, and some even prefer them to the latter species. 



About 3,000 quintals of haddock, and 2,500 quintals of cusk are handled here annually. These 

 are mostly sold in Boston, Gloucester, and Plymouth, to be cut up and shipped to the West as 

 "boneless cod". Boston takes about three-fourths of all, and Gloucester and Plymouth divide the 

 remainder equally. 



Portland's trade in mackerel is rapidly increasing. The city has the second largest fleet of 

 "seiners" in the country and, in addition to the quantity landed by these, many vessels from other 

 places fishing along the coast of Maine in summer find it convenient to pack a portion of their 

 catch in Portland. Mackerel are also sent here for a market from other fishing ports in the State. 

 Mr. Willard estimates that an average of 40,000 barrels were handled annually for several years; 

 the quantity for 1880 was 70,417 barrels. Over two-thirds of the entire quantity are sold in New 

 York, the remainder going chiefly to Boston, Philadelphia. Baltimore, and the West. 



The quantity of herring handled in Portland from year to year depends largely upon the 

 size of the school that visits tho shore. In 1876, the catch was unusually large, and 25,000 to 

 30,000 barrels were brought in for a market. In 1878, the school was smaller than for many years, 

 and only 10,000 barrels were received. In 1SSO, the quantity reached 12,000 barrels. Half of the 

 products of this fishery are sold in New York, and the remainder are usually shipped to Boston 

 and Canada. 



About 2,000 barrels of pickled cod and haddock reach the Portland market yearly. Three- 

 fourths of these are sent to Philadelphia and New York, and from thence to the mining districts of 



