PRODUCTS OF THE PRINCIPAL FISHERIES IN DETAIL. 



57 



1 Less than 1 per cent. 



The catch was practically all taken with lines, only 

 about 2 per cent being taken with seines and 1 per 

 cent with pound nets, trap nets, and gill nets. 



Hake ( Urophycis) . — The species included under this 

 head are not true hakes, but comprise different varie- 

 ties of food fish found off the Atlantic coast from New- 

 foundland to Cape Hatteras, which are variously 

 known as "old English hake," "squirrel hake," 

 "white hake," "ling," "king hake," "codling," etc. 

 They are often prepared under the trade name of 

 "boneless fish." The average length is from 1§ to 2 

 feet and the average weight from 3 to 8 pounds. 



The value of the hake catch in 1908 was $464,000. 

 All the product reported was sold fresh except 525,000 

 pounds, valued at $8,900, which were salted. The 

 hake was taken only in the fisheries of the North At- 

 lantic states, and practically the entire product was 

 from Massachusetts and Maine, as shown in the fol- 

 lowing tabular statement : 



1 Includes New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode 

 Island. 



Except for the greater proximity of the Massachu- 

 setts fisheries to the markets, no reason is apparent 



for the fact that the average value of the Massachu- 

 setts catch was so much greater than that of the 

 Maine catch. 



That the value of the hake product has increased 

 substantially during recent years is indicated by the 

 following tabular statement, giving statistics for 

 years for which returns are available: 



During the earlier years for which statistics are 

 given, large quantities were salted; in 1898 several 

 million pounds were salted, but in 1908 practically 

 the entire product was sold fresh. 



The catch was taken principally with lines, the 

 capture with other apparatus not exceeding 2 per cent 

 of the total. 



Hake sounds used in the manufacture of isinglass 

 have been included in the statistics of sounds, which 

 are given on page 43. 



Halibut {Hippoglossus Tiippoglossus) . — The halibut, 

 the largest and most valuable of the flat fishes, is 

 found in the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It 

 is one of the largest species used for food, sometimes 

 weighing over 300 pounds, but the average weight is 

 from 50 to 75 pounds. There are three grades of 

 halibut. The "white," which has its underside 

 immaculate, is considered best and brings the highest 

 price; the "gray" is blotched on the underside, and 

 sells for a third less; the "sour" is tainted, and brings 

 only about one-fourth as much as the ' ' white." Small 

 young fish, weighing from 10 to 20 pounds, are called 

 "chickens," and are much sought after by epicures. 

 Hahbut are sold fresh and are also cured and smoked, 

 while the napes are pickled. An oil used for currying 

 purposes is made from the head, and the residue is 

 used as a fertilizer under the name of "chum." 



Hahbut was the eighth in value among all the 

 fishery products and the fifth among fish proper. 

 In 1908 its value, $1,562,000, formed 3 per cent of 

 that reported for the entire fishery product and 5 per 

 cent of that for fish proper. In the Pacific coast 

 division, from which about six-sevenths of the catch 

 was taken, it ranked next after salmon, and com- 

 prised 18 per cent of the fishery product. Nearly all 

 of the catch of the Pacific coast states came from the 

 fisheries of Washington. The value per pound was 

 so much higher on the Atlantic seaboard, that the 

 product of the Atlantic coast states, although forming 



