252 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



catch the spawn which begins to appear about that time. In 1870 when there was the last good 

 quantity of spawn emitted, the shells had been put down in May, and by July were so slimy that 

 the spawn did not set upon them. They learned wisdom by that, but no good year for spawn has 

 occurred since. The seed is planted in varying quantity, but Mr. Robinson said he should put it 

 down shoulder to shoulder, so as to pave the whole bottom, if he had enough. I saw tracts where 

 the growing oysters lay so thick as to conceal the sand, and you could gather a bushel from a 

 square yard of bottom. The natives consider the seed here better than that at Monument River, 

 for it is rounder and less distorted. When the oysters are three to four years old, and ready for 

 market, Mr. Robinson takes them up and lays them upon a wooden floor near his packing shanty, 

 in water almost wholly fresh, which takes away the very saline flavor, fills them up in size, and 

 makes them plump and hard. It is known as the 'fattening' process, after which they are ready 

 for shipment. Bought from the boats, a dollar a bushel is paid for these oysters, but the freight 

 to Boston and the barreling make them cost about $1.30 a bushel to the dealer. 



"Here, as at Monument River, fishing is habitually done through the ice in winter. The 

 method is to cut a large hole and use tongs. The oystermen do not complain of it as especially 

 cold or unpleasant work. In order to keep the oysters from freezing, they dip the bag which they 

 intend to put them in when caught, in water, and hold it upright until it freezes stiff. It thus 

 stands conveniently open, like a barrel, and no wind can blow through its sides fo the detriment 

 of the contents." 



FALMOUTH. The town of Falmouth is situated in the southwestern extremity of Barnstable 

 County, and occupies a territory about 10 miles square. It contains the^villages of Waquoit, 

 East Falmouth, Hatchville, North Falmouth, West Falmouth, Falmouth, and Wood's Holl. The 

 southern coast line of the town is broken by many inlets, creeks, and shallow bays, through 

 which large schools of alewives pass to their spawning grounds in the ponds above. At Wood's 

 Holl there are two harbors suitable for vessels, and there are also two or three of considerable 

 size in Buzzard's Bay, within the limits of the town, but they are of inferior character. 



Waquoit, the most easterly village of the town, is situated at the head of a large and 

 shallow bay or fiord. The only branches of the fisheries engaged in here to any considerable 

 extent are the weir fishery, the herring fishery, and the eel fishery. The Waqnoit weir, which, 

 according to Mr. Thomas Phinney, is one of the oldest on Vineyard Sound, is owned by a stock 

 company of nine persons. It is tended by five men, who, for their compensation receive one half 

 of the fish caught. The weir is placed in position annually about the 1st of April, and is removed 

 when the bluefish make their appearance, early in June. The larger proportion of fish taken in this 

 weir arc of the two kinds, menhaden and alewives. During the spring of 1880, about 350 barrels 

 of menhaden and 140,000 alewives were taken, together with about 12 barrels of scup and 3 barrels 

 of shad. The menhaden and alewives were sold to Gloucester fishing vessels for bait. These 

 vessels lie off Falmouth and receive the fish fresh from the weir. The usual price obtained is 

 from 75 cents to $1 per hundred. In 1879, 100 barrels of menhaden were taken. The weir is con- 

 structed entirely of netting, and, including boats and other necessary apparatus, cost about $1,000. 

 It costs annually $200 to keep it in repair. 



About sixteen years ago an artificial alewife-river was opened. The catch of alewives was 

 small at first, but increased until eight or nine years ago, when the maximum quantity, about 

 180 barrels, was taken. In 1878 the amount decreased to 140 barrels. In 1879 and 1880 the 

 catch was very small, amounting to only 7,000 or 8,000 fish. This sudden diminution was due, per- 

 haps, to the fact that cranberry patches have been formed in the swamps bordering on the brook, 

 which are flooded annually, destroying the ordinary flow of the brook. Alewives are first taken 



