60 



FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1908. 



1 Not reported. 



Although the value of the product was greater in 

 1908 than in any previous year, the quantity of the 

 catch of that year was exceeded in 1889 and 1899. 



Besides the herring salted and smoked by the 

 fishermen, a considerable quantity was canned by 

 establishments located mainly in Wisconsin and 

 Michigan. The total output of lake herring from 

 such factories in 1908 was valued at $480,000, and 

 was distributed as follows: Smoked, $426,000; salted, 

 $16,000; pickled, $4,600; and frozen, $33,000. 



The largest part of the catch, 73 per cent, was made 

 with gill nets, 27 per cent was taken with pound and 

 trap nets, and less than 1 per cent with other appa- 

 ratus. 



Lake trout. — The common lake trout (Cristivomer 

 namaycush) is found in the Great Lakes and in the 

 smaller lakes of the Northern states. In different 

 localities these fish vary greatly in color, size, and 

 shape, and are known by the local names "salmon 

 trout," "namaycush," "togue," "tuladi," "Mackinaw 

 trout," "lake salmon," "black trout," "reef trout," 

 "longe," etc. The M siscowet" (C. siscowet) is another 

 species of lake trout. It is found principally in Lake 

 Superior. 



The lake trout was caught only in the Great Lakes, and 

 the value reported for this species in 1908 was $800,000, 

 or 21 per cent of the total value of the products from 

 these waters. Of the total value of the United States 

 fishery products this fish contributed somewhat more 

 than 1 per cent, and of that of fish proper nearly 3 per 

 cent. It was taken by the fisheries of every state 

 bordering the Great Lakes, but 53 per cent of the total 

 value of the product was reported by the fisheries of 

 Michigan and 43 per cent by those of Wisconsin. In 

 both Michigan and Wisconsin lake trout ranked first 

 in value among the fishery products, contributing 29 

 per cent of the total value of the catch in the former 

 state and 32 per cent in the latter. The following 

 tabular statement gives the statistics of the catch, by 

 states : 



i Includes New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. » Less than 1 per cent. 



Next to lake herring, lake trout was the most valu- 

 able species taken in the Great Lakes. 



Of the total value reported for this species, $546,000 

 was reported from Lake Michigan, this amount con- 

 stituting 35 per cent of the total value of the products 

 of this lake, and being exceeded only by the value 

 reported for the lake-herring product. 



The distribution of the quantity and value of the 

 catch by fishing grounds was as follows: 



1 Less than 1 per cent. 



Comparative figures for previous canvasses are 

 given in the following tabular statement: 



1 Not reported. 



The quantity of the catch in 1908 was smaller than 

 that reported at several previous canvasses, but its 

 value has never been exceeded. All of the 1908 prod- 



