THE POUND NET FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC STATES. 



607 



According to the information obtained by Mr. Goode from Captain Ashby in 1877, it appears 

 that certain pounds at Napeague in 1876 caught nothing but squid. Each pound took an average 

 of 15 tons every morning during six weeks. This was during the last of May and through the 

 month of June. 



Between Orient and Oyster Bay, on the sound shore, the fishermen are mostly the farmers of 

 that district. To the eastward, however, many nets are owned by non-resident citizens, who pur- 

 chase the fishing privileges from the resident owners. 



About Orient and some other regions the season lasts from May to October, but in Flushing 

 Bay and elsewhere, where the nets are only employed for shad and menhaden, the fishing times 

 occur only in spring. 



New York market absorbs the greater portion of the products of the Long Island pound-nets. 

 The fish are commonly sent by rail in ice. Many menhaden are used for manure. 



The total catch of the pounds in 1880 was not less than 1,566,000 pounds. 



Mr. Mather gives the following interesting statistics of two pounds owned by Capt. Henry 

 Ballort at East Marion, and regularly in use for nine years. The owner shipped his fish to New 

 York market in boxes containing 225 pounds. His shipments for nine years were the following: 



Captain Ballort had kept no record of the separate amounts of various species taken, but 

 recollected the annual catch of Spanish mackerel to be about as follows: 1871, 6,000; 1872, 2,500; 

 1873, 1,000; 1874-'78, 500; 1879, 10 fish. He says that in 1871 Spanish mackerel were plenty. 



The number of pound-nets in use in New York State in 1880 was 87, valued at $43,500. 



10. POUND-NET FISHERIES OF NEW JERSEY AND DELAWARE BAY. 



We find the main body of the fisheries occupying but two localities, namely, the west shore of 

 New York Harbor to Sandy Hook, and Delaware Bay between Cape May and Dyer's Creek. Some 

 nets are also set about Barnegat Inlet. Pound nets were introduced into New Jersey in 1855, but 

 did not come into general use till 1873. In 1879 there were six pound-nets between Long Branch 

 and Sandy Hook, stocking an average of $10,000 each, and clearing fully $7,000 apiece on fish 

 taken during the season. In 1880 there were eleven pound-nets in the same section and two 

 smaller ones in Sandy Hook Bay. These outer pounds averaged about $8,000 each, and cleared 

 $5,500. The best one stocked about $12,000. 



The nets employed in Delaware Bay are peculiar in having two compartments in the bowl, one 

 for fish, and one for king-crabs. The king-crab compartment has stakes at the bottom, netting not 

 being suited to hold these animals. The other pounds are of the ordinary type. These pounds are 



