FISHERY INDUSTRIES OP THE UNITED STATES, 1929 867 



Catch of alewives in the Potomac River for various years, 1896 to 1929 



Year 



189G 1. 

 1909.. 

 IQir... 

 1919.. 

 1920.. 

 1921.. 

 1922.. 

 1923.. 

 1924.. 

 1925.. 

 1926.. 

 1927.. 

 1928- . 

 1929.. 



Maryland 



Number Pounds Value 



4,883,0001, 



335, OOO' 

 1, 488, 583 

 1, 077, 775 

 1,395,000 

 1, 292, 500 

 2,119,787 

 1, 834, 000 

 415, 000 

 1, 295, 020 

 1, 272, 000 

 1, 801, 475i 

 884, 000 



953, 200 

 134, 000 1 

 772, 807 

 538, 888' 

 558, 000, 

 517, 000 

 847,916: 

 733, 600' 

 166, 000 

 518,600 

 508, 699 

 720, 5901 

 353, 600' 



Virginia 



Number Pounds Value 



$10, 369 

 1, 420' 

 15, 508! 

 13, 940 

 9, 010' 

 3,700 

 8,764 

 6, 855 

 2, 070' 

 6, 518 

 5,741 

 9, 565: 

 7, 075l 



24, 601, 040 

 7, 276, 428 

 7,379,319 

 7,681,561| 

 8, 908, 510 

 10, 074, 500 

 9, 308, 782 

 13, 299, 388 

 7, 420, 380 

 12,500,828 

 10, 336, 067 

 12, 982, 180 

 6, 827, 030 



9,840,416 

 2,910,571 



2, 904, 054 

 3, 813, 780 



3, 563, 404 

 4, 029, 800 

 3, 7 J2, 912 

 5,319,156 

 2, 968, 152 

 5, 000, 330 

 4, 136, 666 

 5, 182, 472, 

 2, 730, 812 



$42, 854 

 30, 741 

 45, 508 

 41, 197 

 35, 031 

 34, 642 

 40, 657 

 49, 667 

 35, 271 

 48, 848 

 44,847 

 48, 732 

 47, 841 



Total 



Number 

 24, 437, 885] 

 29, 484, 040 

 7,611,4281 

 8, 867, 902' 

 8, 759, 336, 



10, 303, 510 

 11,367,000' 

 11,428,6691 

 15, 133, 388 



7, 835, 380! 



13, 795, 848: 



11, 608, 0671 



14, 783, 655 

 7,711,030 



Pounds 

 9, 775, 154' 

 11,793,616 

 3,044,571' 

 3, 676, 921 

 4, 352, 668 

 4, 121. 404 



4, 546, 800 

 4, 570, 828 

 6, 052, 756 

 3, 134, 152 



5, 518, 930 

 4, 645, 365 

 5, 903, 062 

 3,084,412 



Value 

 $39, 003 

 53, 223 

 32, 161 

 61,010 

 55, 137 

 44,041 

 38, 342 

 49, 421 

 56, 552 

 37,341 

 55, 366 

 50, 588 

 58, 297 

 54, 916 



' Data not enumerated separately for the two States. 

 TRADE IN FRESH AND FROZEN FISHERY PRODUCTS IN WASHINGTON, D. C. 



The municipal fish wharf and market in Wasliington, D. C, was 

 built about 13 years ago in the southwestern part of the city on an 

 arm of the Potomac River. At the present time 16 firms have stalls 

 in the market, and 6 firms are in private buildings across the street. 

 Altogether they employ about 71 persons. These firms conduct a 

 wholesale and retail business; chiefly wholesale, however. Some of 

 the fish from the boats and vessels are sold at auction direct to the 

 wholesalers. Several wholesalers also sell fish by auction to the 

 hucksters. The greater part of the business in the market is trans- 

 acted at a set price. 



Although the market is so situated that fishing boats may land their 

 fish directly, only about 10 per cent of the fish are received in this way. 

 The greater part arrive by truck from points in Maryland and Vir- 

 ginia, especially from the vicinity of Solomons and Galesville. Fish 

 arriving by rail from points along the Atlantic coast, Great Lakes, or 

 the Pacific coast a^re also transported by truck from the rail heads, as 

 the market has no direct rail connections. 



During 1929 the receipts of fresh and frozen fishery products 

 amounted to 9,208,465 pounds, or an increase of 12 per cent compared 

 with the previous year, and 19 per cent compared with the 5-year 

 average. 



There has been very little change in the kinds of fish handled at the 

 market in the past nine years. Taking those species that constituted 

 75 per cent of the trade for the various years from 1921 to 1929, 

 squeteagues, or "sea trout," made up the greater portion of the trade 

 each year. Croaker has usually been second, river herring third, 

 oysters fourth or fifth, shad fourth or fifth, haddock sixth, and butter- 

 fish seventh or eighth. Striped bass has generally been seventh in 

 importance, but during 1929 dropped to ninth in importance. 



The trade at the municipal fish market is most active during the 

 months from March to October, inclusive — the largest quantities 

 being handled during the months of April and May. The unusual 

 activity during these latter months can be accounted for chiefly by 

 the large amounts of river herring, croaker, and shad, which are 

 handled mainly during these two months. 



The retail business in Washington, D. C, is carried on by the stores 

 in the municipal market, stores in markets uptown, grocery stores, 



