FISHERIES OF THE NEW ENGLAND STATES. 255 



cases the town operates the fishery, and in others sells it to the highest 

 bidder, who agrees to supply each poll-tax payer a certain number of 

 fish at a nominal price. Alewives are sold fresh, salted, and smoked. 

 The related species, usuall}'^ known as "biuebacks" in this section, is 

 also taken in considerable quantities along the coast and sold for bait 

 and fertilizer. It is of good quality when fresh, but, owing to its 

 extreme fatness, is difficult to cure. In the state as a whole this 

 species is less plentiful than the alewife previousl}" referred to, but is 

 more abundant in certain localities. 



Saliiion. — The salmon fishery is prosecuted in the Penobscot River 

 and Ba3\ A few salmon are taken also in the Kennebec River and 

 elsewhere along the coast. The apparatus of capture consists chiefly 

 of weirs, trap nets, and gill nets. Compared with 1898 the salmon 

 catch shows an increase of 7,-i4:G pounds in quantity, and $3,385 in 

 value. 



Shad. — This species is taken in various localities along the coast of 

 the state, but more than 75 per cent of the catch is from the Kennebec 

 River, where the fisher}^ is of commercial importance as far up as 

 Hallowell. The fishing apparatus emplo3'ed in 1902 consisted princi- 

 pally of pound nets, trap nets, weirs, gill nets, and seines. The quan- 

 tity of shad taken by vessels fishing in the ocean and baj's was 50,400 

 pounds, valued at ^2,071, and by boats in the shore fisheries, 798,599 

 pounds, valued at $26,888. The greater part of the catch is sold fresh 

 by the fishermen. Since 1898 the 3'ield has decreased slightly in quan- 

 tity, but has increased 16.61 per cent in value. 



Smelt. — This species is the object of a very important fishery during 

 the fall and winter. In the fall seines are used for the most part, but 

 in the winter the fish is taken through the ice on lines which are 

 usyially operated some distance up the rivers. Owing to the high price 

 received for smelt, many men lay aside their regular occupations during 

 a short time in the winter to engage in this fisher}'. As a rule, each 

 fisherman has a shanty ranging in size from 4 feet square to 5 by 10 

 feet. In a few instances two men occup}^ one shanty. A small stove 

 keeps the interior comfortable, and the lines, ordinaril}^ about 10 feet 

 long, with one hook, though sometimes v*nth two, are lowered through 

 an oblong opening in the floor of the shanty which fits over a hole of 

 corresponding size made in the ice. The season for ice-fishing is from 

 November to March, the farther up the river the longer the season. 

 The smelt fi.sherj^ proved so profitable in some localities during the fall 

 of 1902 that an increased number of men fitted up gear for the follow- 

 ing season. 



JEels.—ln some localities the eel fishery is of considerable importance. 

 The catch is taken chiefly in pots. A few traps, some of which cost 

 as much as f^25, also were used. The greater part of the catch was 

 dressed and sold fresh. 



