FOURTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 85 



N. B. — There was also from 20,000 to 25,000 tons of fish delivered 

 in the^mmediate vicinity during the year, which is not included in the 

 ahove. 



The quantity destroyed by the officers of the Fishmongers' Com- 

 pany, as being unfit for food, was 273 tons, 16 cwt., i qr., and of this 

 ninety-five tons was composed of shellfish. 



APPROXIMATE QUANTITIES OF FI.SH DELIVERED AT KILLINGS- 

 GATE MARKET AND VICINITY, 1875-1884. 



(British Fisheries Directory and Mr. Little's Report.) 



Tons. Tons. 



1875 94.949 1880 130,629 



1876 99-425 1881 137,000 



1877 107.168 1882 150,000 



1878 126,764 1883 144,669^4' 



1 879 1 26,892 1 884 1 56,005 



\VasJu)h::ton, D. C. 



THE OYSTER BEDS OF NEW YORK. 



BY EUGENE G. BLACKFORD. 



During the past year an investigation has been in progress 

 in the State of New York, under my charge, for the purpose 

 of ascertaining the actual condition of the oyster areas of the 

 State, and to gain some general knowledge of the oyster indus- 

 try as carried on in our waters. 



This work was begun on the supposition that there was danger 

 of a failure in our oyster supplies in the near future, unless some 

 steps were taken toward remedying certain practices and evils 

 which were thought to be detrimental to the success and con- 

 tinuance of the industry. Thus far only a portion of the 

 oyster territory of the State has been examined, and that only 

 superficially ; vet the examination has been sufficient to estab- 

 lish two points, one of which shows conclusively the need of 

 such an investigation, and the (Jther that there is no danger of a 



