[21] GILL-NETS IN THE COD FISHERY. 285 



$14.U5 apiece. an<l tlie glass floats could not be obtained elieapcr (liaii 

 L*2 cents each. It will, therefore, be seen that a ''set of gear " for a ves- 

 sel carrying thirty to thirty-live nets costs a. considerable sum, and if 

 this had to be renewed every few weeks, it would be a material draw- 

 back to the prosi)erity of the fishery. 



In pursuing the cod gill-net fishery the men have been to some ex- 

 tent handicapi)ed by the rotting of their nets, and in some cases — more 

 especially in the fall, when the waters are filled with animal life — the 

 nets have decayed very rai)idly, so that they have been found (piite 

 unfitted for use after being in the water for five or six weeks. AYhilc 

 at Gloucester last fall 1 had this matter brought to my attention by the 

 fishermen, who were anxious to obtain some preservative which would 

 ju-event their nets from rotting. I addressed a letter to Professor Baird 

 on the subject, and the result was that the matter having been brought 

 to the notice of Messrs. Horner & Hyde, of Baltimore, these gentlemen 

 forwarded to Gloucester a barrel of their net preservative for the pur- 

 pose of having its merits tested on the cod gill-nets. It was applied to 

 a portion of the nets of several small vessels in January last, and after 

 the apparatus had been in use from that time to the middle of April 

 sections of the net so prepared were forwarded to me, at Washington, 

 togetlier with a statement by Captain Martin as to what the fish<M-men 

 said regarding its use. Previous to this, however, 1 had talked with 

 some of the fishermen concerning tlie nets treated with Horner tS: 

 Hyde's preservative, and they asserted very positively that not only did 

 it prevent the nets from rotting, but that they were fully impressed with 

 the idea that a great many more fish were caught in nets so treated 

 than in the others ])repared in the ordinary way. The sami)le of matting 

 sent me by Captain Martin shows little sign of deterioration, notwith- 

 standing the fVict that the net from which it was taken had been in 

 constant use for upwards of three months. 



Whether future trials of this material will sustain the statements 

 made by the fishermen Avho have already experimented with it, I am 

 unable to say, but if such should be the case there can be no question 

 but that a very important step has fjeen attained through tlie labors of 

 the Commission in perfecting the work of cod gill-netting, which it com- 

 njenced in American waters five years ago. 



It is ])erh:(ps projier to state here that some of the North Carolina 

 fishermen who have tried Horner & Hyde's treatment on their nets 

 have complained most bitterly that their gear was much injured, if not 

 almost entirely ruined, by it. 1 have seen copies of two letters from 

 fishermen of the South containing such complaints. This being the 

 case, it will perha])s require a h)nger test to settle definitely whether or 

 not this treatment has all the merit that the Gloucestei" fishermen say 

 it has, though it is altogether possible, the conditions being so very 

 ditferent, that what njight give excellent satisfaction when pro])erly 

 applied and intelligently used in the ocean fisheries, might i)rove 

 unsatisfactory under other conditions. 



