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the Treasurer of the Commonwealth, have never engaged very 

 extensively in the alewife fishery. The pond itself is not well 

 adapted for a fishery, because the opening through the beach 

 exists only for a few days after being cleared. 



Farm Pond. Farm Pond, 30 acres in area, is situated in 

 Oak Bluffs, and empties into Vineyard Sound by an artificial 

 creek. The pond is divided by the road from Edgartown to 

 Oak Bluffs into two sections, connected by small channels. 

 This fishery was organized in 1856 by the Farm Pond Fishing 

 Company, which w r as dissolved in 1884. It is improbable that 

 a fishery of any importance has ever been conducted. 



Lagoon Pond. Lagoon Pond, lying between Tjsbury and 

 Oak Bluffs, is about 2^ miles in length, and one-half to three- 

 quarters of a mile wide. Fresh water enters the pond from 

 springs at the upper end, while at the lower it is connected 

 with Vineyard Haven Harbor. A private fishery was es- 

 tablished in 1857, when the Lagoon Pond Company was 

 given the privilege of building a dam across the pond at Long 

 Point. At the present time no fishing exists. 



Tashmoo Lake. Tashmoo Lake, or Chappaquonsett Pond, 

 is a body of water of 1^ miles in length, situated to the west 

 of Vineyard Haven in the town of Tisbury, and connected with 

 Vineyard Sound by a stream which passes through marsh 

 and meadow land. At the outlet into Vineyard Sound bulk- 

 heads have been erected for the purpose of preventing the 

 sand from closing the mouth of the creek. The fishery, es- 

 tablished in 1847, is conducted by a herring committee from 

 the town of Tisbury, the alewives being seined at night. 



This alewife fishery formerly flourished, and more fishing 

 vessels were baited at Vineyard Haven than in Edgartown. 

 In the palmy days there were some 155 houses on the beach 

 near the outlet for the accommodation of persons who desired 

 to share in the catch. At the time of dividing the catch the 

 men on the beach each received a share, and those who had 

 done the catching obtained a double portion. 



There is no reason why this fishery should have declined 

 to its present extent if operations had been carried on in a 

 conservative manner, and nothing seriously interferes with its 

 being brought back to its former condition. 



