522 



HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHEKIES. 



sarily follow, many of the smaller firms must go under, margins of profit will be reduced to a min- 

 imum, while the investment of capital under an accumulation of stock will involve much risk. As 

 a result of this condition the standard of excellence will be lowered and many worthless goods will 

 be placed upon the market at a low figure, and it will become simply a question as to the brands 

 of one cannery or another." The above view of the situation is perhaps a trifle overdrawn, but it 

 is still quite certain that the time has arrived when something must be done to increase the 

 demand for the home production. 



That the people of the United States have consumed large quantities of sardines and ancho- 

 vies yearly for many years is clearly shown by the following table, kindly furnished by Mr. C. W. 

 Smiley, under whose direction it has been compiled from the annual reports of the Bureau of 

 Statistics : 



Table showing the yearly importations of sardines and anchovies from 1858 to 1880. 



* Kinds and quantities offish not given from isiill to 1871. 



From this table it will be seen that the United States imported from 1858 to 1880 $11,656,520 

 worth of sardines and anchovies exclusive of those received between 1869 and 1871, of which we 

 have no record. It is further noticeable that though the quantity has varied considerably from 

 year to year yet it has gradually increased; the value of those received during the year ending June 

 30, 1880, being considerably greater than that of the goods put up in this country during the same 

 period. Even if we place the total products of the American canneries for the entire season of 

 1880 against those imported for the year ending June 30, it will be seen that the imported goods 

 exceed those of home manufacture by $284,756. It will be further seen that of the entire importa- 

 tion of sardines and anchovies during the period covered by the above table, over 81 per cent, came 

 directly from France, and without doubt a considerable portion of the remainder were put up in 

 France and sold to other countries, which, in turn, sent them to America. If we consider only the 

 sardines put up in oil it may be safe to say that over 95 per cent, of the entire quantity are pre- 

 pared in France. 



EELATIVE MERITS OF THE DIFFERENT SPECIES FOR CANNING PURPOSES. It is often claimed 

 that the American manufacturers are imposing on the people by putting up the common herring 

 under the name of sardines, and that they are concealing the fact by using French labels. It is 

 true that the fish commonly used in France are not the same as those used by Americans, but 

 the two species are closely related to each other, and though they differ in many points, each 

 having a flavor peculiar to itself, we are by no means willing to give the preference to the foreign 

 fish. The mere fact that the French were the first to utilize small fish for this purpose, and that 



