392 A MERICAN FISHES. 



into the soil of the farms along the shores, stimulating the crops for a time, 

 hut in the end filling the soil with oil, parching it and making it unfit for 

 tillage. Since that time manifold uses have been found. As a bait-fish 

 this excels all others ; for many years much the greater share of our 

 mackerel was caught by its aid, while the cod and halibut fleet use it rather 

 than any other fish when it can be procured. The total consumption of 

 Menhaden for bait in 1877 did not fall below 80,000 barrels, or 26,000,000 

 fish, valued at $500,000. Ten years before, when the entire mackerel 

 fleet was fishing with hooks, the consumption was much greater. The 

 Dominion mackerel fleet buy Menhaden bait in quantity, and its value has 

 been thought an important element in framing treaties between our govern- 

 ment and that of Great Britain. 



As a food resource it is found to have great possibilities. Many hun- 

 dreds of barrels are sold in the West Indies, while thousands of barrels are 

 salted down for domestic use by families living near the shore. In many 

 sections they are sold fresh in the market. Within six years there has 

 sprung up an important industry, which consists in packing these fish in 

 oil, after the manner of sardines, for home and foreign consumption. In 

 1S74 the production of canned fish did not fall below 500.000 boxes. 



The discovery made by Mr. S. L. Goodale, that from these fish may be 

 extracted, for the cost of carefully boiling them, a substance possessing all 

 the properties of Liebig's " Extract of beef," opens up a vast field for 

 future development. As a food for the domestic animals in the form of 

 " fish meat," there seems also to be a broad opening. As a source of oil, 

 the Menhaden is of more importance than any other marine animal. Its 

 annual yield usually exceeds that of the whale (from the American fisheries) 

 by about 200,000 gallons, and in 1874 did not fall far short of the aggre- 

 gate of all the whale, seal, and cod oil made in America. In 187S the 

 menhaden oil and guano industry employed capital to the amount of 

 $2,350,000, 3,337 men, 64 steamers, 279 sailing vessels, and consumed 

 777,000,000 fish • there were 56 factories, which produced 1,392.644 

 gallons of oil, valued at $450,000, and 55,154 tons of crude guano, valued 

 at $600,000; this was a poor year. In 1874 the number of gallons pro- 

 duced was 3,373,000 ; in 1875, 2,681,000 ; in 1S76, 2,992,00c : in 1877, 

 2,427,000. In 1878 the total value of manufactured products was #1,050,- 

 000 ; in 1S74 this was $1,809,000 ; in 1S75. $1,582,000 ; in 1876, $ 1,671, - 

 000; in 1877, $1. 60S. 000. It should be stated that in these reports only 



