XX KEPOKT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



A material Las lately been offered by Messrs. Horner & Hyde, of 

 Baltimore, which i)romises good results. Another preservative has also 

 been ottered from California, but has not yet been received jn sufficient 

 quantity to be tested. 



An article by Professor Storer on this subject will be found in the 

 appendix. 



3. Another important point for consideration is that of improvement 

 in the pattern of fishiag- vessels. There is annually a terrible mortality 

 in the fishing crews of New England, especiallj^ those belonging to the 

 port of Gloucester, to say nothing of the total loss and wreck of the 

 fishing vessels and their contents. There has gradually developed in 

 connection with the mackerel and cod fisheries of i^ew England a pat- 

 tern of vessel which, while admirable for speed and beauty of lines and 

 of rig, is less safe under certain emergencies than the more substantial 

 and deeper vessel used abroad, especially in England and Scotland. 



The subject of the best form of fishing- vessel has been intrusted to 

 Captain Collins, of the Commission, himself a most experienced fisher- 

 man, and, after a careful study of the boats of all nations, he has pre- 

 pared a model which is believed to combine the excellencies of both 

 English and American vessels. 



An appropriation will be asked from Congress for means to con- 

 struct an experimental vessel and test its qualities ; but until a suc- 

 cessful experiment has been made, it will be difficult to induce the fish- 

 ermen to change their present form of construction. 



4. The fourth object of the Commission is to determine the extent and 

 general character of the old fishing localities and to discover new ones. 

 There is no doubt whatever that there still remain many important 

 areas, even in the best known seas, where the cod-fish and halibut will 

 be found in their old abundance. 



There has never been any formal investigation on this subject, and 

 the banks that are known have been brought to light purely by acci- 

 dent. It is believed that by a systematic research and a careful survey 

 the area of known grounds can be greatly extended. 



There is even more reason to hope for successful results from this in- 

 quiry in the waters off the south Atlantic coast and in the Gulf of Mexico. 

 These regions, the latter especially, may be considered as practically 

 unknown, the few established localities for good fishing being in very 

 small proportion to what must exist. It is here that the service of the 

 fishing schooner referred to above, if means can be obtained to build it, 

 will be brought into play, and it is not too much to hope that an indus- 

 try will be developed that will rei)resent to the Southern and South- 

 eastern States the same source of income and occupation that the 

 mackerel, cod, and halibut furnish to the fishermen of New England. 



5. There is also much to be learned in the way of curing and pack- 

 ing fish for general and special markets. The American methods have 

 grown up as a matter of routine, and are adapted only to one class of 



