204 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



and an occasional barrel of the finer grade is sold to the bird stores, to be used in 'sanding' the 

 floors of cages." 



Statistical recapitulation of the oyster trade of Boston. 



Number of wholesale dealers and shippers 10 



Number of vessels engaged 8 



Value of same $20,000 



Number of men hired by dealers 



Annually 125 



Semi-anmially 250 



Annual earnings of same $85,000 



Semi-annual earnings of same 35,000 



$120, 000 



Number of sailors employed (three months) 40 



Earnings of same $2,500 



Number of restaurant servants 1, 000 



Annual earnings of same $500,000 



Total number of families chiefly supported 1,500 



Annual wholesales of 



I. Native oysters (Cape Cod) bushels.. 15,400 



Selling value of same $15,000 



II. Chesapeake "plants" bushels.. *457,500 



Selling value of same $340,000 



III. Fancy stock bushels.. 60,000 



Selling value of same $100,000 



IV. Baltimore and Norfolk "open stock" gallons.. 350,000 



Selling value of same $250,000 



Total wholesale value of oysters sold annually $705,000 



EXPORTS OF FISH PEODUCTS. In the earlier history of the fishing industry the foreign 

 demand was looked upon a& of great importance. That it shows a decrease may be accounted for 

 from a number of causes, among which is the fact that a constantly growing domestic demand, 

 with a light catch during the past few years, has much of the time left the market bare for export. 

 The home market calls for an entirely different and more profitable method of curing, that requires 

 less labor and expense than curing for a, foreign trade. Dry fish, for home trade, have an addi- 

 tional weight, being only lightly dried or pickle-cured, and bring as good prices as those that are 

 hard-dried and carefully prepared for export. 



The lack of steam transportation between Boston and the West Indies has at times diverted 

 trade from this port to other markets, both domestic and foreign, where there are regular lines of 

 steamers. For this reason a large part of our exports, being cleared from Xew York, does not 

 appear on our home clearances. During the year 1879 there were about $75,000 worth of pickled 

 fish and .about $175,000 worth of dry fish exported from Boston via New York, and this amount 

 added to the Boston clearances, $404,358, gives $654,358 as the aggregate value of Boston exports 

 for that year. The value of fish exports direct from Boston was $781,621 in 1875, $783,196 in 1876, 

 $010,325 in 1877, and $555,548 in 1878. During the five years from 1875 to 1879, inclusive, the 

 total value of fish exported through the Boston custom-house was $3,149,050, of which $2,945,379 

 worth was of domestic production and $203,071 worth the production of the British Provinces or 

 other countries. 



The value of each year's exportation, and the countries to which fish have been exported, are 

 shown in the following statements compiled at the Boston custom-house: 



* Of these, 140,000 gallons arc sold annually under the name of Providence stock. 



