FISHERIES OF THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES. 443 



holdings of ground, the planting has ahnost ceased. In 1901 less than 

 2,000 bushels were taken from private areas and no seed w^as planted. 



A new departure in the tisher}^ industries of New York, and one 

 which gives promise of extensive development, is the cultivation of 

 hard clams or quahogs. During the last three or four years many 

 thousands of bushels of small clams have been bedded on private areas 

 on the south side of Long Island. Comparatively few of these were 

 marketed previous to 1901; in that year 9,260 bushels were sold for 

 ^25,565. The increasing scarcity of clams on the public areas and the 

 high market price which now prevails indicate that the cultivation of 

 this moUusk will be greatly extended. The popularity of small clams 

 is constantl\' increasing in the markets, and in time their cultivation 

 on the south side of Long Island may even rival 03\ster-culture. 



During the year covered by these returns, the scallop fishery at the 

 eastern end of Long Island was in a prosperous condition, yielding 

 169,294 bushels, which sold for $100,607. In 1898 the yield was 

 103,063 bushels, worth $49,960; and in 1891, 69,565 bushels, worth 

 $48,340. This mollusk is taken entirely by means of light dredges, 

 which are usually operated from sailboats, but to a very small extent 

 from rowboats. 



The blue-fish now ranks first in value among the food-fishes of New 

 York State, the yield in 1901 being 9,350,502 pounds, worth $473,366. 

 These were taken principallv by line fishermen sailing from New York 

 City, 617 men and 48 vessels engaging in this fisher}^ in 1901, and to 

 a less extent in gill nets, seines, and pound nets operated along the 

 Long Island coast. Compared with 1898, it appears that there has 

 been a decrease in the quantity of blue-fish taken and an increase in 

 value, the yield in 1898 being 11,214,433 pounds, worth $387,167. 

 The catch in 1891 was reported at 5,506,575 pounds, worth $237,010; 

 and in 1880 at 3,000,000 pounds, worth $67,500. These figures furnish 

 an illustration of the increase in value of food-fish during the last 

 twenty -three years. Thus it appears that in 1880 the value of blue- 

 fish was 2.25 cents per pound; in 1891, 4.30 cents; in 1898, 3.45 cents; 

 and in 1901, 5.07 cents per pound. The demand for blue-fish in the 

 food markets is constantly increasing. To secure early supplies, a 

 part of the fleet now leaves port in March, going southward as far as 

 Cape Fear, and the season extends until late in November. 



The yield of menhaden in New York is second only to that in Vir- 

 ginia, 300,682,545 being secured in 1901. Of these, 233,667 were 

 landed at oil and fertilizer factories in Maine, 25,703,000 in Rhode 

 Island, 154,102,335 in Delaware, and 33,118,338 in Texas, as they were 

 caught in those respective localities. Thirty-two steamers, valued at 

 $489,350, including their seines and outfit, and 3 sail vessels engaged in 

 this fisher}^ employing 745 men. In addition to these 191 men were 

 employed in rendering the fish into oil and fertilizer at the factories 

 in the State, these factories representing an investment of $558,500. 



