[9] FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 1039 



$11,763 ; Dutch West Indies, $10,246 ; French West Indies, $25,076 ; 

 Cuba, $201,072; Hayti, $440,612; Porto Eico, $3,585; San Domingo, 

 $42,743; and other countries not enumerated, $32,435. 



One of the special products the exportation of which has been con- 

 stantly increasing in the last few years is oysters. The export of oysters 

 in 1875 was only $170,277 ; in 1878 it was $393,061; 1879, $453,306; 

 1880, $543,895; 1881, $582,249; 1882, $612,793; 1883, $629,636. 



THE CODFISH INDUSTRY. 



The cod fishery is perhaps the most important of all the food-fish fish- 

 eries. The center of the industry is in New England, and the largest 

 fishing port is Gloucester on Cape Ann. From this port and from Prov- 

 incetown, on Cape Cod, and many other places along the coast, fleets of 

 vessels are employed in fishing for cod and related species of the Gad- 

 idce. The best fish, and, as a rule, from 25 to 30 per cent, of the total 

 catch, are taken on George's Banks, about a hundred miles off the Mas- 

 sachusetts coast. The Grand Banks of Newfoundland, the Western 

 Banks, and numerous fishing grounds near the New England coast, 

 also furnish large quantities. 



The haddock (Melanogrammus wglefinus) is sold in great numbers as a 

 fresh fish ; 21,226,371 pounds being sold fresh in Boston and Gloucester 

 wholesale markets in 1880. Codfish to the number of 23,796,570 pounds 

 were sold fresh in Massachusetts markets in 1880, but a much larger 

 quantity, 148,327,885 pounds, were prepared as dry-salted cod, produc- 

 ing 56,064,757 pounds dried. 



The total quantity of cod, haddock, and other Gadidce taken by New 

 England fishermen in 1880 was 352,280,670 pounds fresh weight ; of this 

 amount 230,81 0,877 pounds were cod (Gadus morrhua), 37,553,965 pounds 

 haddock (Melanogrammus ceglefinus), 32,460,479 pounds hake (Phycis 

 chuss and P. tenuis), and 48,460,555 pounds were pollock (Pollachius car- 

 bonartus), cusk (Brosmius brosme), and minor species. More than three- 

 fourths of the total catch of Gadidcc above given, or 265,210,123 pounds, 

 was cured by dry-salting, producing about 101,116,098 pounds of cured 

 fish. The weight of a large part of the cured product was further re- 

 duced before sale by stripping the fish of skins and bones and packing 

 as boneless-fish. 



There are two principal methods of preparing dry-salted fish, one the 

 pickle-cured and the other the dry-cured. All fish for exportation, un- 

 less prepared as boneless, are dry-cured, while for home consumption, 

 even though they are sent to remote parts of the country, they are 

 pickle-cured. By the first method, the cod, after being split and cleaned, 

 are allowed to remain in brine until they take up much salt, and are 

 then quickly and slightly dried, sometimes only a few hours being al- 

 lowed for the drying. A large proportion of the dry-salted fish is thus 

 prepared, much of it being cut up as boneless, and it is found to keep 

 well, except in the warmest weather. By the dry-cured method the 



