62 



BULLETIN 792, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



SMELTS, EULACHON, ETC. 



The smelt is "a very choice food fish found on the Atlantic Coast 

 from Virginia to the St. Lawrence and landlocked in many New 

 England lakes. Also called 'American smelt' and 'frostfish.' When 

 sent to market unfrozen they are known as 'green' smelts. The 

 average length is 8 to 10 inches. The Pacific smelt is found from San 

 Francisco to Alaska. The surf smelt is found from Monterey to 

 Alaska." 



The Eulachon is "a small fish common in the rivers and coast of 

 the North Pacific. The Indian name 'oolican' (hoolakins) is often 

 used. The trade name is 'candlefish.' On the Columbia River the 

 name 'smelt' is used. The length averages a little less than 1 foot. 

 It is an excellent food fish, and is also of importance for the oil it 

 yields, which is used as substitute for cod liver oil." 



On January 15 the stocks of frozen smelts amounted to a little 

 more than 800,000 pounds. They increased until April 15, when 

 2,098,022 pounds were reported. The stocks reported for May, June, 

 and July 15 were somewhat less but increased from July 15 to August 

 15. A decrease then occurred monthly until the fifteenth of December. 

 The stocks on April 15 were 51.2 per cent greater than those on April 

 15, 1917. ■ 



Table 56. — Monthly cold storage holdings of frozen smelts during 1918, and increase 

 or decrease during each month. 



Month. 



Holdings 



Relative 



on fifteenth 



percent- 



of month. 



age. 



Pounds. 



Per cent. 



807,025 



38.5 



1,070,950 



51.0 



1,717,789 



81.9 



2,098,022 



100.0 



1,888,862 



90.0 



1,963,646 



93.6 



1,933,433 



92.2 



2,077,859 



99.0 



1,864,114 



88.9 



1,840,629 



87.7 



1,775,080 



84.6 



1.441,895 



68.7 



Increase or decrease 

 during month. 



January... 

 February.. 



March 



April 



May 



June 



July 



August 



September 



October 



November 

 December. 



Pounds. 



+ 263,925 

 + 646,839 

 + 380,233 

 -209,160 

 + 74,784 



- 30,213 

 + 144,426 

 -213,745 



- 23,485 



- 65,549 

 -333,185 

 -210,618 



Per cent. 

 +32.7 

 + 60.4 

 +22.1 

 -10.0 

 + 4.0 



- 1.5 

 + 7.5 

 -10.3 



- 1.3 



- 3.6 

 -18.8 

 -14.6 



Table 57.^ — Monthly cold storage holdings of frozen smelts during 1918 compared with 



those of 1917. 



Month. 



Reported for 1918. 



Storages 

 reporting. 



Holdings 



reported 



on fifteenth 



of month. 



Comparison with 1917. 



Storages 



reporting 



for both 



dates. 



1917. 



1918. 



Increase 



or 

 decrease. 



January 



February.. 



March 



April 



May 



June 



July 



August 



September 

 October... 

 November. 

 December. 



Number. 

 67 

 76 

 82 

 78 

 61 

 59 

 59 

 61 

 54 

 57 

 60 



Pounds. 



807,025 

 1,070,950 

 1,717,789 

 2,098,022 

 1,888,862 

 1,96.3,646 

 1,933,433 

 2,077,859 

 1,864,114 

 1,840,629 

 1,775,080 

 1,441.895 



Number. 

 56 

 60 

 65 

 63 

 49 

 46 

 45 

 48 

 41 

 50 

 57 

 67 



Pounds. 



216,747 



358,141 



876,171 



1.050,508 



986,587 



925,268 



794,234 



845,276 



813,272 



1,120,977 



1,222,516 



956,278 



Pounds. 

 509,036 

 652,535 

 1,359,084 

 1,588,602 

 1,327,593 

 1,512,595 

 1,191,644 

 1,561,429 

 1,172,183 

 1,519,771 

 1,689,470 

 1,441,535 



Per cent. 

 + 134.9 



+ 82.2 



+ 55.1 



+ 51.2 



+ 34.6 



+ 63.5 



+ 50.0 



+ 84.7 



+ 44.1 



+ 35.6 



+ 38.2 



+ 50.7 



