FISHERIES OF THE NEW ENGLAND STATES. 291 



20 beam trawls, $1,390. In the shore fisheries there were IG pound 

 nets, $28,300; hand and trawl lines worth $6,890; 30 beam trawls, 

 $1,800; 288 gill nets, $2,301, and 318 lobster pots, $218. The gill nets 

 used in the vessel fisheries are drift nets, and are known locallj^ as 

 "drag gill nets." They average about 212 feet in length, 80 meshes 

 or 20 feet in depth, and the size of the mesh is 3^ to 3j inches stretched. 

 They were first used in the mackerel fishery of jSIassachusetts in June, 

 1845, b}^ Capt. N. E. Atw^ood, who fished them in Provincetown Har- 

 bor. When operated, a number of the nets are fastened together, 

 making a continuous net a half mile to a mile in length, which is sup- 

 ported by buoys. The vessel, with the net attached, drifts with the 

 tide, sails being used when necessary. These nets are usuall}" fished 

 at night, and are sunk deep enough below the surface of the water to 

 avoid being damaged or destroyed b}" passing vessels. The catch 

 taken with drift gill nets in 1902 was 619,100 pounds of mackerel and 

 herring, valued at §26,810. The investment in the fisheries and 

 wholesale fishery trade of Provincetown was $457,660. The products 

 of the fisheries, which were marketed chiefly at Boston, amounted to 

 23,311,009 pounds, valued at $529,244. Of this quantity 15,618,497 

 pounds, valued at $433,075, was taken by vessels, and 7,692,512 pounds, 

 valued at $106,169, by boats in the shore fisheries. The larger vessels 

 land their catch at Boston direct from the fishing grounds, and the 

 products .taken b}' small vessels and boats are shipped to Boston and 

 New York on a fast fish train that leaves Provincetown dail}^ 



The use of beam trawls in the flounder fishery at Provincetown and 

 vicinit}" is also an interesting feature of the fisheries of Barnsta]>le 

 County. This apparatus is not used elsewhere in the United States in 

 the commercial fisheries. The number of beam trawls in the entire 

 count}' has increased since 1898 from 27, valued at $1,610, to 65, valued 

 at $8,295, and the catch, consisting wholly of flounders, from 766,850 

 pounds, $8,564, to 1,419,809 pounds, $43,169. These nets cost about 

 $60 each. The beam is from 20 to 30 feet long, the net or bag 75 feet 

 long, and the size of mesh 3i inches stretched. The flounders taken 

 average about a pound in vf eight. They continue to be plentiful on 

 the sandy bottoms of Provincetown Harbor and Cape Cod Bay. 



Bristol County w^as third in importance in the extent of its fisheries. 

 The number of persons employed was 1,262, the investment was 

 $603,701, and the products amounted to 6,289,554 pounds, valued at 

 $446,329. The number of vessels was 34, valued at $137,850; their 

 net tonnage was 4,104 tons, and the value of their outfit $205,060. 

 The number of boats in the shore fisheries was 355, valued at $13,675; 

 the fishing apparatus on vessels and boats was valued at $6,175; the 

 shore property at $98,441, and the cash capital was $142,500. 



The whale fleet of New Bedford in 1902 numbered 21 vessels of 



