BUi-LETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 253 



for 1879 foot up 68,742,000 pounds. That the total supply was not 

 very much larger in 1879 than in 1872 is the universal opinion. It is 

 also likely that the completion of the figures for 1872 would make a 

 total of at least 50,000,000 pounds. In this period, the trade of Buffalo, 

 Milwaukee, an<l some other places fell off, but was compensated by the 

 increase of trade in Chicago. This decline at Buffalo from 1872 to 1879 

 Mr. Kumlein i)laces at from 6,374,100 pounds to 4,001,000 pounds. It is 

 imxwssible to state the exact decline at Milwaukee, but one house re- 

 ports a decrease from 14,000 half-barrels to 2,058 half- barrels; another 

 house sold 8,000 half-barrels in 1871, 7,000 in 1872, and but 1,908 in 1879. 

 A third firm handled 6,623 half-barrels in 1872, and 10,397 in 1873, 

 but only 2,003 half-barrels in 1879. The only other wholesale dealer 

 gave no comparative figures. 



Poimds. 



In 1872 Mr. Milner put the transactions in Chicago at 7, 401, 102 



In 1875 the total is given by a Chicago firm at 11, 500, 000 



In 1876 the total is given by this same firm at 12, 240, 000 



In 1877 the total is given by this same firm at 14, 000, 000 



In 1879 Mr. Kumlein put the Chicago trade at 17, 247, 570 



II. Maximum effectiveness of fishing. — The summaries of apparatus 

 used in Lake Michigan as given by Mr. Milner in 1872 and by Mr. Kum- 

 lein in 1879 compare as follows : 



For 1871. For 1879. 



Pound-nets 281 476 



Gill-nets 450 24, 599 



Sail- vessels and boats 689 612 



Steam-tugs 4 30 



In their report the Wisconsin commissioners say : " The number an 

 variety of nets used for fishing are appalling, and their destruction 

 character, supplemented by the spear, is rapidly exterminating the 

 whitefish and salmon, trout in Lake Michigan, Green Bay, and in many 

 of the larger inland lakes. " 



In 1860 Mr. Kalmbach, who at present is a dealer in Green Bay, began 

 fishing with the pound-net in Bay de IS^oquet ; pound-nets were at that 

 time a new institution in these waters, and in fact his was one of the 

 first trials. He employed two pound-nets, one 18, the other 20 feet deep 

 and 25 by 30 feet square. From the 10th of October to the 25th of 

 November he took from these nets and salted 1,750 half-barrels, or 

 175,000 pounds, of No. Iwhite fish, and could he have secured assistance, 

 salt, packages, &c., he couldhave more than doubled this amount. Very 

 few fish were smaller than No. 1. Of late years the pound-nets have 

 contained smaller and smaller meshes. 



The Wisconsin commissioners, in their report for 1874, state: "AtEacine 

 there are four boats in constant use putting out and taking up not less 

 than twenty-five miles of gill-nets. We are told by Mr. Jacob Schenken- 

 barger, one of our oldest and most intelligent fishermen, that with an 



