INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1873. cxi 



Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan ; so that at the present time 

 all the Xew England and Middle States except Delaware, 

 and all the states bordering on the great lakes with the ex- 

 ception of Indiana, Illinois,Wisconsin, and Minnesota, are pro- 

 vided with these important state officers. Movements are in 

 progress, however, which it is probable will result during 

 1874 in the appointment of Commissioners in Minnesota, Illi- 

 nois, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and possibly Iowa. 

 - Numerous statistical publications in reference to the fish- 

 eries of the Old World and the New have made their appear- 

 ance, although mostly relating to 1872. We have also a 

 very elaborate communication from Dr. Francis Day on the 

 fresh-water fisheries of India, and another by the Minister 

 of Marine and the Fisheries of Canada. It is to be regretted 

 that no provision is made by the United States government 

 for the collection and publication of accurate and exhaustive 

 details on this branch of industry, so ably worked up by 

 France, Norway, and other foreign nations. 



The special fisheries of the w^orld have been prosecuted 

 with their average success. The herring has furnished provi- 

 sion and employment for immense numbers of people both in 

 Europe and America. Tlie Astrachan herring {Alosa cas- 

 pica), a species probably like our fresh-water herring or ale- 

 wife, which w^as, up to the years 1854 and 1855, only used in 

 extracting the oil, has taken a prominent place as a food fisli 

 since that time. The Russian name, hescheuJm (the furious 

 fish), seems to have incited a prejudice against it; but through 

 the eflTorts of Mr. Baer, and a board of commissioners ap- 

 pointed to investigate the fisheries of Russia, the prejudice 

 was largely overcome, and, under the name of herring, as a 

 salted fish it has become an important element in the Caspi- 

 an fisheries. In 1858 there w^ere salted in the rivers of As- 

 trachan 43,000,000 of this fish. The number in 1871 was 

 140,000,000; and in 1872, 160,000,000; while in 1872 only 

 30,000 w^ere used for oil. 



The cod fisheries of both the Atlantic and Pacific have also 

 been abundantly worked. The occurrence of cod in immense 

 numbers in the Pacific is a fact of recent appreciation ; and 

 it is satisfactory to know that, should the supply from the 

 Atlantic be at all seriously impaired, the deficiency can be 

 made up from the Pacific. According to a San Francisco 



