442 REruKT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The study of the fisheries of this region will ])e greath" facilitated 

 by consulting the earlier publications relating to them, as follows: 



The Fishery Industries of the United States, Section ii. OJeographical Review of the 



Fisheries for 1880. Parts vi to xi, inclusive. 

 The Fishery Industries of the United States, Section v. History and Methods of the 



Fislieries. 

 A statistical report on the Fisheries of the Middle Atlantic States, hy Hugh M. 



Smith, i\I. D. Bull. U. S. Fish Com. 1894, pp. 889-467. 

 The Oyster Industrv of Maryland, bv Charles H. Stevenson. Dull. U. S. Fish Com. 



1892, pj). 208-297. 

 The Sturgeon and Sturgeon Industries of the Eastern Coast of the United States, by 



John A. KyiU'r. Bull. U. S. Fish Com. 188S, pp. 281-82S. 

 The Sturgeon Fisherv of Delaware River and Bav, bv John N. Cobb. Rept. U. S. 



Fish Com. 1899, p]). 369-880. 

 Notes on the Ovster Industry of New Jersey, bv Anslev Hall. Rei)t. I'. S. Fish- 



Com. 1892, pp. 468-528. 

 The Shad Fisheries of the Atlantic Coast of the United States, bv Ciiarles H. Steven- 

 son. Rept. U. S. Fish Com. 1898, pp. 101-269. _ " 

 Notes on the extent and condition of the Alewife Fisheries of the United Stati\M in 



1896, by Hugh M. Smith. Rept. U. S. Fish Com. 1898, pp. 81-48. 

 Statistics of the Fisheries of the Middle Atlantic States. Rept. U. S. Fish Com. 1900, 



]ip. 195-810. 



FISHERIES OF NEW YORK. 



Considering the value of the fishery product, New York now ranks 

 second among the Middle Atlantic States, being surpassed only ))y 

 New Jersey. The returns for 1001 show about 10 per cent increase 

 over those for 1898, the total Arabic amounting to $3,545,189 in 1898, 

 and $3,894,270 in 1901. 



The o}^ster industry yields about 50 per cent of the value of the 

 fisheries of New York, the product in 1901 amounting to 1,708,703 

 bushels of market 03^sters and 644,075 bushels of seed oysters to be 

 replanted, the whole worth $1,972,540. This industrv is now almost 

 wholly dependent on the growing of oysters on private areas, which 

 a few years ago were entirely barren and unproductive. In the same 

 year, the natural oyster reefs, to which the public resorted, yielded only 

 5,480 l)ushels of market oysters and 33,890 bushels of seed oysters, 

 with a valuation of $20,104, or little more than 1 per cent of the total 

 oyster product of the State. 



One of the most Interesting of the recent developments in the oyster 

 industry of New Y''ork is the extensive planting of seed o3^sters at the 

 eastern end of Long Island, especially in the vicinit}' of Greenport 

 and Southold. This began ten 3'ears ago, and at present about 350,000 

 bushels are planted annuall\% the seed being obtained from Long 

 Island Sound. The 03^sters in those watei's grow verv rapidly-, but, 

 not fattening readil3', the3^ are usualh' taken up within a 3'ear and 

 again planted in Great South Ba3^ and elsewheie. 



An offset to the development of 03^ster-planting in Peconic Bay is 

 the decrease in this industr\' in Shinnecock Ba3', on the south side of 

 Long Island. In 1898 the private areas in that bay yielded 43,000 

 bushels of 03\sters, worth about $1 per })ushel; but, owing to the fail- 

 ure on the part of the town authorities to secure the planters in their 



