[131] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 221 



In the tables from which the above summary has been compiled, no 

 allowance seems to have been made for local consumption. A rough 

 estimate of the amount used in this way would be 18,000,000 pounds, 

 making a total catch for the Provinces of about 88,000,000 i)ounds, 

 worth, at prices current in the United States, not far from $1,020,000. 



Mackerel are not abundant in the waters of the Newfoundland coast, 

 and few are taken by the fishermen. The returns for the year ending 

 July 31, 1881, show that only 181 barrels were exported. This quantity, 

 which equals 54,300 pounds of fresh fish, doubtless represents the bulk 

 of the mackerel taken, as few are consumed locally. Allowing an equal 

 quantity for local consumption, we have only about 110,000 pounds, 

 valued at $1,650, taken by the islanders. 



By combining the catch of the New England, Canadian, and New- 

 foundland fishermen, we have the total product of the mackerel fishery 

 for the western Atlantic in 1880. This is found to be about 220,000,000 

 pounds of round mackerel, valued at $4,228,000. This value represents 

 the fish as they are first placed upon the market. If the value to the 

 consumer is desired, the figures must be nearly doubled, to include the 

 transportation charges and the profits of the various middlemen who 

 handle them. 



v.— THE MACKEREL-CANNING INDUSTRY. 



By R. Edward Earll. 



J.— THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF TOE MACKEREL- 

 CANNING INDUSTRY. 



43. — The methods and statistics of canning. 



The first experiments in the canning of fish on the American conti- 

 nent were conducted at Halifax, Nova Scotia, by Mr. Charles Mitchell, 

 a native of Aberdeen, Scotland, who came to America in 1840 to engage 

 in this work. During his stay in Halifax he was engaged in the can- 

 ning of salmon and meats of various kinds. Later he removed to the 

 United States and continued the work, putting uj) lobsters, salmon, and 

 such other fish as were thought desirable. It was in this way that the 

 value of the mackerel as a canned fish came to be known to our people. 

 Prior to 1850 a few Avere canned in Boston and small quantities were 

 put up at the lobster canneries in the State of Maine. Fiom that date 

 the business has been continued on the Maine coast, though for many 

 years it was very limited, as the qualities of the mackerel when ])repared 

 in this way were not at first fully api^reciated. The trade, however, 

 has increased slowly from year to year, until canned mackerel aie now 

 handled by the principal dealers of all of the larger cities throughout 

 the entire country. 



■ Prior to 1872 the only canned mackerel seen in our markets were fresh 

 fish prepared in hermetically sealed cans by means of the ordinary pro- 



