550 



REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The imports of coral for consumption from 1869 to 1894, inclusive, 

 have been as follows : 



90. Statement of the imports for consumption of coral into the United States from 1869 to 



1894, inclusive. 



Not cut, 

 Year ending ] or Tin- 

 June 30 — manufac- 

 tured. 



1869. 



1870. 

 1871. 

 1872. 

 1873. 

 1874. 

 1875. 

 1870. 

 1877. 

 1878. 

 1879. 

 1880. 

 1881. 

 1882. 



$83 

 230 

 528 



,278 

 109 

 718 



,252 

 147 

 62 

 89 



,474 



Cut, or 

 manufac- 

 tured. 



$22, 417 



18, 975 



37, 877 



59, 598 



63. 805 



28, 152 



33, 567 



33, 559 



28, 650 



12, 667 



11,327 



5,492 



2,502 



669 



$22, 417 

 18, 975 

 37, 877 

 59, 681 

 64, 035 



28, 680 

 34, 845 

 33, 668 



29, 368 

 13,919 

 11,474 



5,554 

 2,591 

 2,143 



Tea 1 ending 

 June 30— 



1883. 

 1884. 

 1885. 

 1886. 

 1887. 



1890. 

 1891. 

 1892. 

 1893. 

 1894. 



Total . 



Not cut, 

 or un- 

 manufac- 

 tured. 



$681 



533 

 608 

 153 



Cut, or 

 manufac- 

 tured. 



$1,302 



845 



657 



1,758 



$1, 



983 

 158 

 659 

 218 

 307 

 594 

 461 

 531 

 213 

 378 

 265 

 911 



Fish skins. — Skins of various fishes, but principally of sharks, are 

 imported into the United States for use in arts and manufactures. They 

 come principally from England, but are originally obtained largely from 

 the Mediterranean Sea. The imports from 1869 to 1894, inclusive, 

 amounting in value to $4,333 are shown in Table 12, on page 449. 



A large quantity of skins produced in the fisheries of the United 

 States are annually exported. Among these are alligator hides, por- 

 poise skins, etc. The customs-house returns, however, do not indicate 

 separately the quantity or value of these products exported. Small 

 quantities of fish skins have been exported during recent years, a state- 

 ment of the extent of which is given in Table 25, on page 468. 



Seal skins. — Another important product of the United States fisheries 

 dependent on foreign countries is seal skins. The customs returns do 

 not classify this article separately, but the exports amount to at least 

 99 per cent of the domestic product. The San Francisco value of the 

 undressed skins produced in the United States fisheries in 1895 approx- 

 imated $659,000, and in 1894 about $600,000. Practically all of these 

 skins are sent to London to be dressed, and doubtless a large portion 

 of them are again imported into this country. When imported they are 

 listed with other furs, both of land and marine animals, and a separate 

 statement of the imports is impracticable. 



Seaweeds. — The uses of marine plants as food and for manufacturing 

 and agricultural purposes are of more value than is generally supposed, 

 and doubtless capable of much greater development, especially iu this 

 country. In France, China, and Japan numbers of people find profit- 

 able employment in collecting and preparing them. 



In the United States large quantities of seaweeds are gathered from 

 along the shore for fertilizing the adjacent fields, but they are rarely 

 carried into the interior of the country. Irish moss ( Chondrus crispus) 

 is gathered in small quantities on the coast of Massachusetts and sold 

 for culinary purposes and for sizing calicoes, etc. Dulse (Bhodymenia 

 palmata) is quite common on the New England coast, but is gathered 



