150 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



bait used in one year. I have given below a number of estimates for 

 individual ports or fisheries ; C0,000 round barrels are thus accounted 

 for. I do not hesitate to estimate the total consumption for 1877 at 

 80,000 barrels, or 26,000,000 of fish. 



Consumption by the George's Banlis fleet. 



207. The George's Banks cod fleet is owned entirely in Gloucester 

 There are about 130 vessels, making usually one trip every twenty days. 

 When they can get slivered menhaden they carry no other bait. Early 

 in the summer they go to the Vineyard Sound for their bait, where they 

 buy it from the pounds ; later they are able to buy it from Gloucester 

 and Newburyport seines. Each vessel carries about 40 round barrels 

 of menhaden, iced. Mr. Joseph O. Proctor estimates the annual num- 

 ber of trips made with this bait at COO. This gives a total amount of 

 24,000 round barrels, or about 8,000,000 of fish ; 24,000 round barrels 

 are equivalent to 8,000 barrels of slivered fish. 



Ten years ago, according to the estimate of the same gentleman, the 

 " Georgiamen " did not carry menhaden bait on so many trips, nor did 

 they carry so much. He estimates 300 trips, at 30 barrels each, giving 

 an aggregate of 9,000 round barrels, or about 3,000,000 fish. 



Consumption by the Grand Banhs fleet. 



208. Mr. Proctor estimates that the Grand Bank cod vessels of Glou- 

 cester use in all about 600 barrels of slivered menhaden bait. 



Major Low's statement of the outfit of the schooner "Madam 

 Eoland,"* copied from the trip-book, shows that she was supplied 

 with 5 barrels of pogie slivers, at $8 per barrel, making $40 ; and 5 

 barrels of slack-salted clams, at $11, making $55.t His model table, to 

 show the cost of a new schooner fitted at Gloucester, 1875, for a four 

 months' trip to the Grand Banks for codfish and halibut, with 14 hands, 

 estimates for 12,000 pogies or herring, at $100.J 



Consumption by the mackerel line-fishermen. 



209. Each mackerel- vessel engaged in line fishing consumes during 

 the course of the season about 20 barrels of salted menhaden slivers. 

 In 1867, when the entire fleet fished with hooks, the amount consumed 

 by Gloucester alone amounted, by Mr. Proctor's estimate, to 6,500 bar- 

 rels, and the total consumption in the United States of mackerel bait 

 must have exceeded 25,000 barrels. In 1877 the purse-seiners are in a 

 large majority. The whole amount consumed by a seining-vessel does 

 not exceed 5 or 6 barrels in a season. Gloucester had in 1877 about 

 60 "mackerel-hookers," using about 2,400 barrels of slivers, while its 

 seining-fleet used about 2,000 barrels more. 



* Sailed for the Grand Banks August 26, 1873 ; arrived at Gloucester October 10, 1873 ; 

 time absent, one month fourteen days ; gross stock, $2,758.27. 

 t lUd., p. 3G2. 

 X Ihid, p. 3G8. 



