﻿As 
  a 
  base 
  for 
  nitrogen 
  it 
  enters 
  largely 
  into 
  the 
  composition 
  

   of 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  manufactured 
  fertilisers. 
  The 
  amount 
  of 
  

   nitrogen 
  derived 
  from 
  this 
  source 
  in 
  1875 
  was 
  estimated 
  to 
  

   be 
  equivalent 
  to 
  that 
  contained 
  in 
  60,000,000 
  lbs. 
  of 
  

   Peruvian 
  guano, 
  the 
  gold 
  value 
  of 
  which 
  would 
  not 
  have 
  

   been 
  far 
  from 
  $1,920,000. 
  The 
  yield 
  of 
  the 
  Menhaden 
  

   fishery 
  in 
  pounds 
  is 
  probably 
  triple 
  that 
  of 
  any 
  other 
  

   carried 
  on 
  by 
  the 
  fishermen 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States. 
  In 
  1880, 
  

   with 
  an 
  increased 
  value 
  of 
  products, 
  the 
  Menhaden 
  fishery 
  

   yielded 
  $2,116,787. 
  In 
  the 
  accompanying 
  table, 
  prepared 
  

   by 
  Mr. 
  Howard 
  Clark, 
  detailed 
  statistics 
  are 
  given. 
  In 
  

   estimating 
  the 
  importance 
  of 
  the 
  Menhaden 
  to 
  the 
  United 
  

   States, 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  borne 
  in 
  mind 
  that 
  its 
  absence 
  from 
  

   our 
  waters 
  would 
  probably 
  reduce 
  all 
  our 
  other 
  sea 
  fisheries 
  

   to 
  at 
  least 
  one-fourth 
  their 
  present 
  extent. 
  

  

  The 
  Alaska 
  Fur* 
  Seal 
  and 
  Sea-Otter 
  Industry. 
  — 
  The 
  Seal- 
  

   fishery 
  has 
  been 
  discussed 
  in 
  Mr. 
  Elliot's 
  monograph 
  

   recently 
  published 
  by 
  the 
  Census 
  Office. 
  This 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  

   main 
  situated 
  under 
  the 
  control 
  of 
  the 
  Alaska 
  Commercial 
  

   Company 
  from 
  the 
  Prybilov 
  Islands 
  of 
  Alaska, 
  where, 
  in 
  

   accordance 
  with 
  the 
  terms 
  of 
  a 
  lease 
  which 
  they 
  have 
  

   received 
  from 
  the 
  'Government 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  they 
  

   are 
  permitted 
  to 
  kill 
  only 
  100,000 
  young 
  males 
  each 
  year, 
  

   thus 
  securing 
  a 
  permanence 
  of 
  supply. 
  The 
  same 
  company 
  

   obtained 
  47,000 
  skins 
  in 
  addition 
  from 
  the 
  Commander 
  

   Islands, 
  leased 
  them 
  by 
  Russia. 
  There 
  are 
  also 
  10,000 
  skins 
  

   obtained 
  by 
  the 
  shore 
  fishermen 
  of 
  California, 
  and 
  56,000 
  

   by 
  American 
  fishermen 
  in 
  Puget 
  Sound. 
  The 
  total 
  value 
  of 
  

   Fur 
  Seal 
  skins 
  obtained 
  by 
  Americans 
  on 
  this 
  coast 
  is 
  placed 
  

   at 
  $1,540,912.* 
  The 
  skins 
  undergo 
  an 
  immense 
  enhance- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  value 
  before 
  leaving 
  the 
  hands 
  of 
  the 
  Alaskan 
  

   Commercial 
  Company, 
  which 
  has 
  establishments 
  in 
  London 
  

  

  * 
  This 
  estimate 
  is 
  subject 
  to 
  revision. 
  

  

  