REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XXI 



and of rig, is less safe under certain emergencies than the more substan- 

 tial and deeper vessel used abroad, especially in England and Scotland. 



The subject of the best form of fishing- vessel has been intrusted to 

 Captain Collins, of the Commission, himself a most experienced fisher- 

 man, and, after a careful study of the boats of all nations, he has pre- 

 pared a model which is believed to combine the excellencies of* both 

 English and American vessels. 



An appropriation will be asked from Congress for means to con- 

 struct an experimental vessel and test its qualities ; but until a suc- 

 cessful experiment has been made it will be difficult to induce the fish- 

 ermen to change their present form of construction. 



4. The fourth object of the Commission is to determine the extent and 

 general character of the old fishing localities and to discover new ones. 

 There is no doubt whatever that there still remain many important areas, 

 even in the best-known seas, where the codfish and halibut will be found 

 in their former abundance. There has never been any formal investi- 

 gation on this subject, and the banks that are known have been brought 

 to light purely by accident. It is believed that by a systematic research 

 and a careful survey the area of known grounds can be greatly extended. 



There is very great reason to hope for successful results from this in- 

 quiry in the waters off the South Atlantic coast and in the Grulf of Mexico. 

 These regions, the latter especially, may be considered as practically 

 unknown, the few established localities for good fishing being in very 

 small proportion to what must exist. It is here that the service of the 

 fishing schooner referred to above, if means can be obtained to build it, 

 will be brought into play, and it is not too much to hope that an indus- 

 try will be developed that will represent to the Southern aud South- 

 western States the same source of income and occupition that the 

 mackerel, cod, and halibut furnish to the fishermen of New England. 



5. There is also much to be learned in the way of curing and pack- 

 ing fish for general and special markets. The American methods have 

 grown up as a matter of routine, and are adapted to only one class of 

 demand. There are, however, many modes of preparation which can 

 be made use of to meet the wants of new markets ; and thus we can 

 enter more efficiently into comx3etition with European nations for Euro- 

 pean trade, as well as for that of the West Indies and South America, 



A great advance has already been made toward this desired improve- 

 ment since the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, where many methods of 

 curing and putting up fish were shown in the foreign sections that were 

 almost entirely unknown in America. Notable among these were the 

 preparations of sardines and other species of herring in oil, as well as 

 in spiced juices. Quite recently this industry has been well established 

 in Maine, amounting to a value of millions of dollars, and there are 

 many other parts of the country where the same work can be done with 

 other kinds of fish. The whole subject is receiving the careful consid- 

 eration of the Commission, and numerous facts bearing upon it have 

 been announced in its reports and bulletins. 



