FISHERIES, BY STATES. 



93 



Products, by apparatus of capture. The distribution 

 of the total value of products according to the chief 

 kinds of apparatus used is shown in the tabular state- 

 ment below. Each kind of apparatus which is cred- 

 ited with a total catch exceeding $10,000 in value is 

 given separately. 



Oysters. From the table giving the comparison of 

 the value of products for various years from 1889 

 to 1908 it is seen that the high mark of production 

 reached in 1905 was due to the oyster industry, the 

 total value of products other than oysters for that 

 year being less than for 1908. In 1905 the value 

 of the oyster product formed 89 per cent of the total, 

 compared with 87 per cent in 1908, 82 per cent in 

 1902, 80 per cent in 1898, and 68 per cent in 1889. 



The statistics of the oyster product for 1908, by 

 source of supply, are shown in the following tabular 

 statement: 



Connecticut was the first of the Northern states to 

 cultivate the oyster successfully. In localities far- 

 ther to the south warm weather usually prevails 

 in the early summer months when the oysters spawn 

 and a good "set" usually results, but in Connecticut 

 oyster culture is hazardous because of the uncertainty 

 of the "set" of the young oyster, an abundant "set" 

 being the exception. Hundreds of thousands of 

 bushels of shells have been deposited on the private 

 grounds for the purpose of furnishing suitable mate- 

 rial to which diminutive oysters may cling, but in 

 rather more than half of the years this work has been 

 profitless because of the destruction of the "set" by 

 adverse weather conditions. The season of 1908 

 was considered a prosperous one by the fishermen, the 

 bivalves being large and of a superior quality and the 

 demand being such as to keep prices at a remunera- 

 tive figure. The average price of market oysters per 

 bushel was 84 cents and of seed oysters 55 cents. 



The returns show that a considerable portion of 

 the product was taken by Connecticut fishermen 

 from beds outside of the state, mainly from the New 

 York side of Long Island Sound and from the waters 

 of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. A total of 

 1,270,000 bushels, valued at $1,090,000, was so re- 

 ported. It was distributed as follows: From Rhode 

 Island waters, 720,000 bushels, valued at $590,000; 

 from New York waters, 511,000 bushels, valued at 

 $453,000; and from Massachusetts waters, 40,000 

 bushels, valued at $47,000. 



Oyster fishing is conducted principally from vessels. 

 In 1908 only about 4 per cent of the value of the total 

 catch was credited to the shore and boat fisheries. 

 Only 3 per cent of the product of the vessel fisheries 

 was taken from the public areas, as compared with 

 about 60 per cent in the case of the shore and boat 

 fisheries. 



Menhaden. In 1908 the menhaden catch of Con- 

 necticut ranked next to the oyster product in value, 

 and was surpassed in value only by the catches of 

 that species in Virginia, Delaware, and North Caro- 

 lina. 



Lobsters. The value of the yield of lobsters, which 

 ranked third among the fishery products of the state 

 in 1908, was greater than in any previous year for 

 which data are available. It was more than double 

 the value for 1902, and slightly greater than the values 

 for 1898 and 1889. The quantity in 1908, however, 

 was only 661,000 pounds, as compared with 1,501,000 

 pounds in 1889, which represents a decrease of 56 

 per cent. 



Whale and Tcindred products. The whale and oil 

 products reached higher figures in 1908 than in any 

 previous year for which a canvass was made since 

 1880, when the value of these products reported 

 amounted to $53,000. The total yield for 1908 

 included 49,000 gallons of sperm oil and sea-elephant 

 oil and 1,700 pounds of whalebone. 



