DISCUSSION. 



Professor, BROWN GOODE said he had heard some 

 complaint that there were too many scientific men on the 

 platform in these conferences, and too few practical men, 

 but every one would agree that Mr. Cornish had shown 

 that he had a thorough practical acquaintance with the 

 subject, whilst he had used a thoroughly scientific method 

 in his deductions. He had listened with great pleasure 

 to the Paper, having been for some years paying special 

 attention to the mackerel fishery in the United States. 

 That fishery was one of the most important in the 

 American waters. The produce in the year 1880 was 

 about 132,000,000 pounds. It employed about 470 of 

 their finest sea-going schooners, of from 60 to 100 tons 

 burden each, and with an aggregate capacity of about 

 23,000 tons, with crews of 14 to 20 men, and nets worth 

 450,000 dollars or more. Within the last few years, since 

 the introduction of the purse net to which Mr. Cornish 

 had referred, it was not uncommon for one of those vessels 

 to catch fish to the value of 5000 or even 7500 a year. 

 The history of the mackerel fishery was very interesting. 

 As long ago as the year 1600, within forty years of the settle- 

 ment in New England, there were records of the colonists 

 seining the mackerel off Cape Cod by moonlight ; and it was 

 somewhat remarkable, that on this fishery was founded the 

 system of public schools in the United States, for within 

 ten or twenty years of that time the first public school was 

 founded on a tax upon the fishery. At that time, when 

 perhaps not one hundred barrels a year were taken, they 

 found the inhabitants petitioning to prevent the destruction 



