FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST IN 1899. 5638 
San Francisco.—This city is the headquarters of the fishery indus- 
tries of the State, especially with respect to salmon, salt cod, oysters, 
shrimp, whale products, and fresh fish. Several millions of dollars 
of California capital which do not appear in this report are invested 
in the extensive salmon fisheries of Alaska. Within the past four 
years the salt codfish business has more than doubled, its products in 
1895 being 2,783,550 pounds, of $83,506 value, and in 1899, 5,917,131 
pounds, of $178,054 value. The cod catch is all from Alaskan waters, 
the fish being dressed and salted on the vessels or at shore stations 
near the fishing-grounds, after which they are brought to the home 
stations at San Francisco and placed under pickle in large vats. As 
‘the fish are needed they are taken from pickle, washed, and sun-dried 
on flakes, or, in unfavorable weather, dried under cover in improved 
hot-air drying plants. After curing they are prepared for shipment, 
either as whole fish with the skin on or as boneless fish with skin and 
bones removed. The codfish business of the Pacific coast has been of 
slow growth, on account of competition from the Atlantic coast and 
because the west-coast people have never been much accustomed to the 
use of salt fish. The domestic demand has increased yearly, and there 
is a growing trade with the Hawaiian and other islands of the Pacific. 
The fresh-fish markets of San Francisco exhibit few changes. The 
large business here is a combination of retail and wholesale, but prin- 
cipally retail. 
The crab fishery of San Francisco has long been of considerable 
importance. For years the catch was made inside of the Golden Gate, 
small sail or row boats being used. As crabs became scarce in the 
bay, the fishing was extended to outside waters. Within the past four 
years small gasoline boats of 5 horsepower have largely taken the 
place of sailboats. During 1899, 49 sailboats and 33 gasoline boats 
were used in the crab fisheries. The gasoline boats, with 2 men, fish 
20 to 30 nets each; the sailboats average 15 nets, with 1 or 2 men. 
With favorable weather the crab fishery is followed all through the 
year. Day after day the same grounds are worked on. The grounds 
extend from the mouth of the harbor along the north shore about 10 
miles, and the same distance along the beaches on the south. The 
catch is now nearly all made outside the harbor, where crabs are still 
plentiful and of larger size than those found in the bay. The average 
weight of crabs is 30 pounds to the dozen. Prices fluctuate between 
40 cents and $1.25 a dozen, the average being 70 cents. 
Since the introduction of gasoline boats the catch of crabs has largely 
increased, that of San Francisco County in 1899 being 3,664,680 pounds, 
valued at $85,509, as against 2,565,000 pounds in 1895, valued at 
$61,750, an increase of 1,099,680 pounds. Nine-tenths of the crab catch 
is made with hoop nets, the remainder being taken in trammel nets. 
The only planted oyster beds of California are in San Francisco Bay. 
The leading features of the trade since the last report, in 1895, have 
