INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1875. ccxxv 



elements in this branch of industry, and was prosecuted 

 with much vigor and with a very large yield. In 1874 three 

 and a half million gallons of oil were made from 492,000,000 

 fish. The catch for 1875 was over 565,000,000, valued at 

 $12,650,000. 



Within the last few years large numbers of menhaden 

 have been put up in tin cans, prepared in oil like sardines, 

 and known by the various names of American sardines, 

 ocean trout, shad in es, etc., proving very palatable, even to 

 those who are familiar with the oily, rank flavor of the fresh 

 fish, and in many places replacing the sardines on account 

 of their much cheaper price. 



Some idea of the importance of the fisheries of the United 

 States may be gathered from the statistics of the returns 

 made to the port of Gloucester, Massachusetts, for 1875, 

 the total catch amounting to 177,473 quintals of Bank cod- 

 fish, 185,758 quintals of Georges cod-fish, nearly 10,000,000 

 lbs. of halibut, etc. ; the total value amounting to $2,- 

 905,994. This does not include the product of the shore 

 fishing. 



Another illustration of the same kind is furnished by a 

 table of the consumption of fish brought to the Washington 

 market, as shown by the report of the fish inspector of that 

 city. The whole number offish inspected in 1875 amounted 

 to a little over 7,000,000 lbs., principally shad, herring or 

 alewives, and striped bass nearly all having been taken in 

 the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. This, it may be 

 remarked, is a considerable diminution as compared with the 

 yield of 1874, which amounted to nearly 11,000,000 lbs., the 

 difference being due to the very much smaller number of 

 shad and herring taken, as already referred to. 



For many years past there has been a decline in the whale- 

 fishery, the low price of oil, in consequence of the competi- 

 tion of petroleum, not warranting the outlay and expense. 

 Partly in consequence of the exhaustion of the accumulated 

 stocks of oil, the prices have recently improved, and many 

 of the old vessels that had been laid up in New Bedford, 

 Edgartown, and elsewhere, were refitted and sent out on 

 voyages. From the "Annual Review" of the whale-fishery, 

 for 1875, by Messrs. Bartlett & Sons, we learn that the num- 

 ber of vessels engaged January 1, 1876, is 169, against 163 



10* 



