REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 107 



tlie St. Francis, and Ouachita, in all of which commercial fishing is 

 carried on. In a number of lakes representing former beds of rivers 

 considerable fishing is also done. 



In 1894, 750 persons were engaged in the fisheries of Arkansas. Of 

 these, oGG used set lines, 28G fyke nets, 129 seines, and 114 trammel 

 nets, some fishermen being in two or more fisheries. The number on 

 the different rivers was as follows: 302 on the Arkansas, 81 on the 

 White, 73 on the St. Francis, 158 on the Ouachita, Gl on the Mississiijpi, 

 and 75 on various minor waters. 



The fyke net is the most prominent means of capture in this State 

 representing nearly one thinl the investment in the fishing industry. 

 It is used in almost ever}- river and lake having commercial fisheries, 

 the largest numbers being set in the Mississippi, White, and St. Francis 

 rivers. The total number of fykes in use in 1894 was 1,590, valued at 

 $11,040. Set lines are also very generally employed. Their number 

 was 1,G15, valued at $1,914. The lines contained over 79,000 hooks and 

 were 328,000 feet in length. The number and value of the other 

 important forms of apparatus were as follows: Seines, 41, $5,470; tram- 

 mel nets, 72, $2,G70. An interesting feature of the fisheries of the 

 State is the use of 8 pound nets in Crittenden County, on the Missis- 

 sippi River, this type of net being very seldom met with in the interior 

 waters. The 501 boats employed had a value of $7,917. The aggregate 

 amount of capital invested in the industry was $3G,5G4. 



The yield of the fisheries of Arkansas was 3,875,800 pounds, having- 

 a value to the fishermen of $110,010. In point of quantity the buftalo- 

 fishes are the most important in the State; about 1,G2G,000 pounds, 

 valued at $30,800, were taken. The value of the catfishes was greater, 

 being $38,000, but the quantity was only 904,500 poumls. Xext in 

 importance is the fresh water drum, or sheei>shead; of this, nearly 

 580,000 pouiuls, worth $15,000, were obtained. Other comparatively 

 prominent species are crappy, black bass, and paddle-fish. The output 

 of the Mississippi liiver fisheries Avas larger than that of any other 

 stream, although the value of the catch was less than in several other 

 waters. The yield and value of the catch in the principal waters were 

 as follows: Mississippi River, 882,500 pounds, $18,800; St. Francis 

 River, 772,G00 pounds, $19,700; White River, C05,G00 pounds, $23,580; 

 Arkansas River, 594,000 pounds, $22,800; ITorseshoe Lake, 370,000 

 pounds, $10,300; Ouachita River, 248,000 pounds, $10,000. 



TENNESSEE. 



This State has comparatively important fisheries in the Tennessee, 

 Cumberland, and ^Mississippi rivers, and in Rcelfoot Lake. The most 

 extensive interests are in the first-named stream and the lake. The 

 principal features are tlie extent of the fyke-net and set-line fisheries 

 and the preponderance of bufialo-fish and catfish in the catch. 



The number of persons engaged in the commercial (isheries of Ten- 

 nessee in 1894 was 520. Of these, 45 were on the Cumberland River, 



