﻿FISHERIES 
  OF 
  SOUTH 
  ATLANTIC 
  STATES. 
  351 
  

  

  whicli 
  arc 
  used 
  for 
  fertilizer, 
  the 
  food 
  li.sh 
  in 
  181>7 
  .sold 
  for 
  an 
  average 
  

   of 
  less 
  than 
  2i 
  cents 
  per 
  pound, 
  whereas 
  in 
  1902 
  the 
  averaoe 
  selling 
  

   price 
  was 
  3i 
  cents 
  per 
  pound. 
  

  

  Shad 
  is 
  the 
  principal 
  species, 
  the 
  yield 
  in 
  1902 
  amounting 
  to 
  6,566,721 
  

   pounds, 
  worth 
  $381,808; 
  in 
  1897 
  the 
  catch 
  was 
  8,963,188 
  pounds, 
  worth 
  

   $3(;2,81i, 
  and 
  in 
  1890, 
  5,768,413 
  pounds, 
  worth 
  $306,015. 
  In 
  value 
  of 
  

   this 
  product 
  North 
  Carolina 
  outranks 
  ever}" 
  other 
  state. 
  

  

  The 
  yield 
  of 
  oysters 
  shows 
  an 
  increase 
  from 
  858,818 
  bushels 
  in 
  1897 
  

   to 
  1,022,813 
  bushels 
  in 
  1902, 
  Init 
  the 
  value 
  has 
  not 
  increased 
  corre- 
  

   spondingl}', 
  the 
  average 
  price 
  having 
  fallen 
  from 
  28 
  cents 
  to 
  26 
  cents 
  

   per 
  bushel. 
  Oyster 
  canning 
  is 
  a 
  veiy 
  important 
  l)ranch 
  of 
  the 
  industr}' 
  ; 
  

   in 
  1902, 
  503,220 
  bushels 
  — 
  nearly 
  50 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  the 
  total 
  catch 
  — 
  were 
  

   delivered 
  to 
  canning 
  establishments. 
  Very 
  little 
  attention 
  is 
  now 
  

   devoted 
  to 
  oyster 
  culture, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  failure 
  of 
  the 
  many 
  attempts 
  

   made. 
  The 
  yield 
  of 
  quahogs, 
  or 
  hard 
  clams, 
  has 
  increased 
  from 
  117,226 
  

   bushels 
  in 
  1897 
  to 
  146,897 
  bushels 
  in 
  1902, 
  and 
  the 
  average 
  price 
  per 
  

   bushel 
  has 
  advanced 
  from 
  46 
  cents 
  to 
  60 
  cents. 
  The 
  quality 
  of 
  the 
  

   quahog 
  catch 
  is 
  constantly 
  improving, 
  and 
  thousands 
  of 
  bushels 
  are 
  

   now 
  canned 
  or 
  shipped 
  to 
  northern 
  markets. 
  

  

  The 
  menhaden 
  industr3'of 
  North 
  Carolina 
  is 
  of 
  uuich 
  greater 
  extent 
  

   than 
  appears 
  from 
  the 
  catch 
  credited 
  to 
  this 
  state. 
  Two 
  large 
  factories 
  

   have 
  been 
  erected 
  at 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  Cape 
  Fear 
  River, 
  where 
  50,917,800 
  

   fish 
  were 
  handled 
  in 
  1902, 
  but 
  none 
  of 
  these 
  fish 
  has 
  been 
  included 
  in 
  

   the 
  North 
  Carolina 
  catch, 
  since 
  they 
  were 
  taken 
  b}' 
  steamers 
  owned 
  in 
  

   New 
  York 
  State. 
  The 
  catch 
  by 
  North 
  Carolina 
  vessels, 
  however, 
  

   increased 
  from 
  11,310,000 
  pounds 
  in 
  1897 
  to 
  18,862,000 
  pounds 
  in 
  1902, 
  

   representing 
  28 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  the 
  total 
  fisher}^ 
  product 
  of 
  the 
  state 
  for 
  

   that 
  year. 
  

  

  The 
  yield 
  of 
  alewives 
  has 
  decreased 
  from 
  15,790,437 
  pounds 
  in 
  1807 
  

   to 
  11,172,975 
  pounds 
  in 
  1902; 
  of 
  blue-fish 
  from 
  1,696,175 
  to 
  977,142 
  

   pounds, 
  and 
  of 
  sturgeon 
  from 
  404,125 
  to 
  144,705 
  pounds; 
  but 
  mullet 
  

   increased 
  from 
  3,409,585 
  pounds 
  to 
  6,705,492 
  pounds, 
  squeteague 
  from 
  

   3,090,254 
  to 
  3,781,456 
  pounds, 
  croakers 
  from 
  1,279,019 
  to 
  1,928,635 
  

   pounds, 
  striped 
  bass 
  from 
  845,123 
  to 
  1,175,400 
  pounds, 
  white 
  and 
  yel- 
  

   low 
  perch 
  from 
  806,379 
  to 
  1,047,042 
  pounds, 
  hickory 
  shad 
  from 
  

   230,975 
  to 
  684,896 
  pounds, 
  black 
  bass 
  from 
  535,342 
  to 
  632,675 
  pounds, 
  

   and 
  eels 
  from 
  96,700 
  to 
  507,111 
  pounds. 
  The 
  increase 
  in 
  value 
  of 
  

   these 
  items 
  has 
  been 
  very 
  much 
  greater 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  enhanced 
  price 
  

   per 
  pound. 
  

  

  The 
  tables 
  following 
  show 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  persons 
  employed, 
  the 
  

   number 
  and 
  value 
  of 
  vessels, 
  boats, 
  and 
  fishing 
  apparatus, 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  

   the 
  shore 
  and 
  accessory 
  property, 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  cash 
  capital, 
  and 
  the 
  

  

  