148 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



as a "toll-bait," and to be thrown over tlie side of the smack to attract 

 the school to the surface and to keep it alongside ; this is called "chum- 

 ming up the fish," and the bait is called "chum" or " stosh." To prepare 

 it for use the "slivers " are passed through a "bait-mill," which is a ma- 

 chine like a farmer's feed-cutter ; the fish are thrown into the hopper, 

 from which the fish pass between a roller armed with small knives in 

 rows, and a series of similar kiiives arranged along a board which slopes 

 toward the bottom. The bait is usually ground at night, by the watch 

 on deck; when the vessel has no "bait-mill," the fish are cut up with a 

 hatchet or scalded with boiling water in a tub. Bait-mills were first in- 

 troduced about the year 1824. In fishing for mackerel, one man throws 

 over the bait while the rest ply their lines. "Toll-bait" is also used by 

 the smacks, which use purse-seines and drift- nets, to attract the fish to 

 the surface. 



The use of menhaden halt in the coast fisheries. 



203. Menhaden bait is also used in the coast fisheries for sea-bass, on 

 the "bull-tows" or "trot-lines," and in the eel and lobster pots. They 

 are not much in favor for the latter use, however, for the oil of the fish 

 is thought to permeate the flesh of the lobster, imparting to it an un- 

 I)leasant flavor. 



Extent of hait-fishery in New England. 



204. Captain Babson, of Gloucester, whose account of the bait-fishery 

 of Cape Ann is quoted elsewhere, and to whom I am indebted for much 

 other valuable information, informs me that there were over G0,000 bar- 

 rels of " round fish " taken in his district in 1873. Vessels belonging 

 to the companies of the Maine Oil and Guano Association sold in 1873 

 for bait 2,977 barrels 5 in 1874, 10,400 ; in 1877, 10,795. From the bait 

 fisheries about Marblehead, in the vicinity of Provincetown, 1,000 to 

 2,000 barrels were taken for bait in 1873, according to Mr. Loring. At 

 Chatham, for the past five years, the average catch has been about 5,000 

 barrels, a large portion of which are sold to the George's Bank codfish 

 vessels. Nothing has been heard from the bait fisheries about Nan- 

 tucket, which are, however, quite unimportant. 



A large part of the fish taken at Martha's Vineyard are used for bait ; 

 in 1873 there were 5,000 barrels according to Jason Luce & Co. 



At Gloucester, according to Mr. Babson, the 60,000 round barrels of 

 fish make 20,000 barrels of " slivers," worth $4 per barrel to the pro- 

 ducer. At Marblehead, it averages $1 per barrel for fresh and $6 for 

 salt; at Chatham, $1.50 fresh ; at Nantucket, 50 cents to 75 cents, and 

 at Martha's Vineyard 50 cents, as I am told. In Narragansett Bay, ac- 

 cording to Mr. J. M. K. Southwick, bait sold in 1871 for $1 and $1.50. 



Bait-fishery in Merrimac River and Salem Harbor. 



205. Fisheries of some importance are carried on at the mouth of the 

 Merrimac Eiver. The menhaden thus obtained are used chiefly to sup- 



