FISHERIES OF THE NEW ENGLAND STATES. 47 



ing vessels, except one transporter, were engaged in the general food 

 fisheries, their apparatus consisting principally of gill nets, seines, 

 lines, and harpoons for swordiish. 



The catch of the vessels and boats aggregated 6,660,837 pounds, 

 valued at $607,174. Of the more valuable species in the food fish- 

 eries, fresh and salted, may be noted: Cod, 385,600 pounds, $8,366; 

 alewives, 416,250 pounds, $5,855; mackerel, 263,700 pounds, $1 1 ,768; 

 swordfish, 231,100 pounds, $12,667; hard clams, 36,215 bushels, 

 $71,525; soft clams, 3,655 bushels, $4,606; oysters, market and seed, 

 10,100 bushels, $9,345; and scallops, 2,500 bushels, $5,625. Com- 

 pared with 1902 there appears an mcrease of 371,283 pounds and 

 $160,845. 



In Plymouth County the fisheries gave employment to 774 persons, 

 the capital invested was $211,566, and the products aggregated 

 6,759,288 pounds, valued at $278,868. Compared with returns for 

 the previous canvass the fisheries of this county show a decline, the 

 decrease amounting to 1,038,670 pounds and $3,430. The most 

 notable falling off is in. the cod and halibut fisheries. The cod fish- 

 eries declined from 1,736,475 pounds, $42,000, in 1902, to 925,148 

 pounds, $19,050, in 1905, and the catch of halibut from 669,000 

 pounds, $49,250, to 189,700 pounds, $18,970. 



The fisheries of Dukes County are carried on from the island of 

 Marthas Vineyard, which practically constitutes the county. In 1905 

 337 persons were engaged in the fisheries, utilizing a capital of 

 $125,702, and the products amounted to 5,039,587 pounds, valued at 

 $188,786. The principal forms of apparatus were pound nets, gill 

 nets, seines, lobster pots, dredges, tongs, rakes, and hoes. Pound 

 nets were the most important, their catch amounting to 3,232,737 

 ]:)ounds, valued at $71,564, or more than half of the weight of all the 

 products. The leading species taken were squeteague, 2,147,700 

 pounds, $43,627; scup, 832,400 pounds, $21,513; mackerel, 313,130 

 pounds, $15,226; swordfish, 155,720 pounds, $8,441; flounders, 

 337,600 pounds, $6,867; hard clams, 18,000 bushels, $31,500; scallops, 

 11,226 bushels, $25,260; and lobsters, 59,670 pounds, $7,373. 



The vessels fishing numbered 18, and are of small type, varying 

 from 5 to 17 tons net. Two vessels engaged in transporting. The 

 most valuable species taken by vessels was mackerel, 192,300 pounds, 

 $9,215; swordfish, 104,230 pounds, $5,734, and cod, 216,800 pounds, 

 $4,336. 



The fisheries of Norfolk County are of minor importance com- 

 pared with those previously mentioned. The number of persons 

 engaged was 45; the capital invested, $13,616, and the products 

 amoimted to 341,414 pounds, valued at $21,114. The principal form 

 of apparatus used was lobster pots, the catch amounting to 113,214 

 1125—07 4 



