1590 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
The greater part of the fresh mackerel caught along the coast is 
shipped to Boston, and it is usually estimated that the receipts at 
that port cover about 90 per cent of the whole New England catch. 
The receipts of domestic fresh mackerel to the Ist of September, 
1901, are reported to be 44,196 barrels, valued at $265,176, while for 
the same period in 1900 the quantity landed was only 40,555 barrels, 
but the value was $275,752. There has therefore been an increase in 
the quantity so cai during the season and a decrease in the value. — It 
is generally believed that the total catch of fresh and salted mackerel 
will not be equal to that of last year, and some of the fishermen have 
diseontinued mackerel fishing to engage in other branches of fishery 
which seem to be more promising. Ilowever, some good catches are 
being reported, and if is not impossible that conditions may improve. 
The southern mackerel catch for this season, 1901, amounted to 16,419 
barrels, valued at $180,609, which is more than 5,000 barrels larger 
than if was in either of the five preceding years. 
SHAD IN PENNSYLVANIA. 
An inquiry in Dauphin and Lancaster counties, Pennsylvania, 
shows that since the destruction of the dam at Columbia some years 
ago there has been considerable improvement in the shad fisheries of 
the Susquehanna River above that point. The catch at four different 
localities in the above-named counties in 1900 aggregated 16,840 shad, 
or about 67,360 pounds, having a value of $3,990. 
GERMAN CARP IN LAKE ERIE. 
An interesting fact in connection with the fishing industry of this 
lake is the increased utilization of the German carp. This fish, now 
abundant in nearly all waters where it has been introduced, has become 
commercially important in a number of regions. For several years 
it has constituted more than half of the total yield of the fisheries 
of the Illinois River. An investigation of the fisheries of the Missis- 
sippi River and tributaries for 1899 shows the catch of German carp 
to have been 11,869,840 pounds, valued at $289,258. While taken 
in our interior waters in abundance by anglers and used locally, 
the growth of the carp fishery as an industry has been slow. Ina 
former report of this division attention was called to the importance 
of this fishery in the Illinois River, and the development of a good 
market for the catch in certain eastern cities, where the proportion 
of foreigners in the population is large. 
In Lake Erie German carp are very abundant, and in the effort to 
utilize them new markets are being found in the Mississippi Valley, 
an important part of the catch being sent to St. Louis, Louisville, 
Cincinnati, and other cities. When taken in larger quantities than 
required, they can be easily retained in ponds until wanted. The 
writer recently visited a pond near Port Clinton, Ohio, where about 
50 tons of German carp were held. Fishermen in th’ 3 region usually 
receive 15 cents a pound, sometimes 2 cents. When extra large quan- 
