100 Fish Cultural Association. 
various ‘fishermen,:, and ‘ from: thése datas there’: was; filed 
statement. The most important is our oyster-fishery. It is a 
disgrace that we have no statistics. The only means of as- 
certaining the annual trade in oysters is from a report to 
the: French ‘government: by: Wiettenant). P:) de. Broca, wae 
the French navy, who was sent here in 1869 to investigate 
oyster-culture in the United States, and it is supposed that 
there has been no diminution since. He made a complete 
report, and this report "will be found in the. report \oi‘tie 
United States Commissioner. 
In 1875 the total amount of sperm-oil from the Ameri- 
can whale-fisheries was 1,000,951 gallons; of other whale-oil, 
1,414,136 gallons: in all, 2,505,537-gallons. The amountyos 
menhaden-oil for the same year was 2,681,487 gallons, an 
excess of 176,350 gallons. In 1874, the amount of menhaden- 
oil was 3,372,837 gallons, which was very much in excess 
of whale-oil for the same year. In 1876, 2,990,000 gallons of 
menhaden-oul.. were’ made,’ and: sm) ;1877, .2,426,000. , Forgas 
year ending June 30, 1877, the production of whale-oil was 
2,140,047 gallons, and for the year 1877, 2,151,765 gallons. 
Inv the \O7,. Paint, and \ Drug) Reporter for Januaryyiie 
1874 (page 4), the following statement is made: 
“Tt is asserted that while the amount of oil produced is 
equal to that derived from the whale-fisheries in this coun- 
try, the menhaden interest is ahead of the whale; for though 
the menhaden-oil sells at a less price per gallon, for every 
barrel of oil made there is three-quarters of a ton of scrap, 
which readily commands $15 per ton at the factory.” 
The oyster-fishery is by far the most important of the 
fisheries of North America, its value being at least double 
that of all the other fisheries together. It is a national dis- 
grace that: there are no reliable. statistics of jthis;amdusiny, 
