FISHERIES OF THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES. 437 



value of products for the entire region. The yield of shad, which is 

 next in importance, was 31,897,687 pounds, valued at $1,253,622. 

 The catch of clams, hard and soft, was 1,118,777 bushels, valued at 

 $1,07'1,83-1. Some of the other prominent species were alewives, 

 33,198,605 pounds, $243,340; blue-fish, 16,317,795 pounds, $758,122; 

 menhaden, 493,936,462 pounds, $987,228; squeteague, 23,496,383 

 pounds, $558,653; crabs, hard and soft, 70,951,965 in number, 

 $495,385. The catch of alewives, blue-fish, croakers, king-fish, j^ellow 

 perch, pike and pickerel, scup, shad, striped bass, and oysters, as com- 

 pared with 1897, has decreased in quantity, but increased in value. In 

 the meantime there has been an increase in both the quantity and 

 value of a large number of other species. 



The products since 1897 have increased 224,874,366 pounds, or 37.84 

 per cent in quantity, and $3,161,037 or 22.06 per cent in value. There 

 has been an increase in quantity in all the States except Delaware and 

 Maryland, and in value in all except Delaware and Pennsylvania. 

 The decrease in Delaware, which was 32.52 per cent in quantity and 

 19.34 per cent in value, is explained principally by a falling ofi' in the 

 catch of sturgeon, squeteague, and alewives. In Maryland the decrease 

 in the yield of alewives, shad, and oysters has been largely instru- 

 mental in overbalancing the increase in other species. In New York 

 the products have increased 108.19 per cent in quantity and 14.82 per 

 cent in value. This is attributable mainly to the fact that since the 

 consolidation of a number of the principal menhaden plants on the 

 Atlantic coast in 1898, a considerable part of the menhaden catch 

 formerly included in the products of other States has been credited to 

 New York, where the home ofiice of the company representing the 

 combined interests is located. Therefore if the comparison is made 

 with 1898 instead of with 1897 the increase is reduced to 8.35 per 

 cent in quantity and 9.85 per cent in value. The next greatest increase 

 is in New Jersey and Virginia, where it relates to a number of species. 

 In Virginia, however, the products have been affected in quantity 

 chiefly by the increased catch of menhaden, which has risen from 

 178,656,362 pounds, valued at $255,241, to 273,493,799 pounds, valued 

 at $433,109. The oyster yield in this State has also increased from 

 7,023,848 bushels, valued at $2,041,683, to 7,885,447 bushels, valued 

 at $2,923,456. 



In connection with the fisheries of the Middle Atlantic States, one 

 of the most important occurrences during the past few^ years is the 

 adoption of gasoline and naphtha engines as an auxiliary means of 

 propelling sailing vessels and boats. In New York and New Jersey 

 these engmes are used on a large number of boats in the oyster, clam, 

 shad, and pound-net fisheries, and on many of the vessels engaged in 

 transporting fishery products to market. 



