FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



173 



21,536,000 pounds, valued at S268,700, and mackerel, 1,575,923 

 pounds, valued at SI 46, 611, 



Compared vnih 1905, there has been a decrease of 566 in the num- 

 ber of persons employed in the fisheries of the State, but an increase 

 in the investment amounting to SI, 184, 062, in the total quantity of 

 products of 24,354,640 pounds and in the value of $1,749,920. There 

 was a large increase in the catch of the following species as compared 

 with 1905: Menhaden, 20,509,800 pounds in quantity and $265,678 

 in value; scup, 2,721,100 pounds in quantity and $679,816 in value; 

 whiting, 1,313,630 pounds in quantity and $12,244 in value; floun- 

 ders, 1,308,114 pounds in quantity and $44,139 in value; lobsters, 

 1,053,873 pounds in quantity and $296,321 in value; and mackerel, 



YEARS 



18 - 19 



YEAR 



1905 

 1906 

 1907 

 1908 

 1909 



ACRES 



8,163.7 

 12,968.6 

 14,994.0 

 I 5,504.2 

 lf.'814.7 



YEAR 



1910 

 1911 

 1912 

 1913 

 1914 



ACRES 



17,162.1 

 20,846.0 

 21,236.5 

 Z0,846.0 

 18.655.5 



YEAf^ 



1915 

 1916 

 1917 

 19(8 

 1919 



ACRES 



16,707.5 



14,369.0 



10,709.8 



9,250.3 



7, 139.5 



6 



4 



Fro. 9.— Acres of oyster ground leased to individuals in Rhofle Island, by years, from 1905 to 1919, 



inclusive. 



737,993 pounds in quantity and $98,557 in value. The species for 

 which there has been a significant decrease, with the amount of the 

 decrease, follow: Squeteague, 2,868,925 pounds in quantity and 

 $52,649 in value; haddock, 505,435 pounds in quantity and $14,276 

 in value; and alcwives, 329,025 pounds in quantity and $1,115 in 

 value. No shad, hickory shad, or king whiting were reported in the 

 catch in 1919. The take of Irish moss amounted to only 2,000 

 pounds, valued at $240, in 1919, as compared with 16,000 pounds, 

 valued at $1,120, in 1905. 



The accompanying graph (fig. 9), showing the number of acres of 

 oyster ground leased to individuals in Rhode Island, by years, from 

 1905 to 1919, indicates with marked clearness the rise and fall in that 

 vState of its most important fishery. According to canvasses made by 

 this iJurcau, the yield in 1905 amounted to 916,088 bushels, in 1910 

 to 2,208,278 bushels, and in 1919 to 894,537 bushels, which substan- 



