358 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 
Mr. Reuben Chapman informed us that at his factory, on Mason’s Island, opposite Noank, 
Conn., the yield of early fish was sometimes as low as a gallon to the thousand, later in the season 
reaching 14 or even 18 gallons; which would be equivalent to 5 or 6 gallons to the barrel. 
Mr. Maddocks, writing of the Maine fish, states: “The yield of oil sometimes doubles, per 
head, in thirty days after their coming. The fish taken on the coast of Maine yield a considerably 
larger supply of oil than those taken at points farther south, around Long Island, off the Jersey 
shore, &c. The amount of oil per barrel of fish is there about 1 gallon, against 23 here, for the 
whole season in each case.” 
And again: “The amount of oil realized varies from 1 gallon per barrel of fish early in the 
season to 4 or 5 gallons in September. The scrap contains, on the average, as it comes from the 
press, 55 to 60 per cent. of its weight in water, and sometimes more. This is, of course, worthless 
for fertilizing purposes. It also contains from 12 to 20 per cent. of fat or oil, which is equally 
worthless for manure.” 
Mr. Dudley considers that the first taken in Long Island Sound yield, on an average, about 4 
gallons to the thousand. At Pine Island it is somewhat greater; one season averaged 34, another 
64. In 1877 the average to June 12 was 5 gallons; to November 1, 3 gallons. On November 1 the 
fat fish made their appearance, and the average has since doubtless greatly increased. There is 
usually an increase in the yield of oil after July 1, but since 1874 this has not been the case in 
Southern New England. Mr. Dudley has cooked fish which would not yield a quart of oil to the 
thousand. Again, in November, the yield has been 18 gallons. It is the opinion of Mr. Dudley 
that dark oil only is yielded by fish taken in brackish water; light oil by those taken outside. 
The George W. Miles Company, of Milford, states that the largest amount made by them in 
one factory in any one year was in 1871, when they produced 100,000 in about fifty working days; 
the largest quantity in the shortest time was 21,000 gallons in seventy-two hours, or 7,000 gallons 
to each day of twenty-four hours. In 1872 they produced 60,000 gallons, and in 1873 105,000 gal- 
lons in their two factories, one factory not operating all the time on account of a pending lawsuit. 
According to Capt. J. L. Stokes, of the Salt Island Oil Company, the average yield of oil is 
4 gallons to the thousand, 9,000 fish making a ton of scrap. Captain Beebe and Mr. Ingham put 
the highest for the region about the mouth of the Connecticut River at 8 gallons, or perhaps 3 gal- 
lons or less to the barrel. 
Mr. Miles writes: “All depends upon the quality of the fish, whether fat or poor. In July, 
August, and September we only get fish that come into the Sound to feed, and they fatten after 
they get here. If they are poor, we have the largest catch in June and July. If they are increas- 
ing in fat or yield of oil, we cannot capture them successfully until August and September. The 
fat fish in the Sound are usually wild and hard to take until late, perhaps owing to the fact that 
their food is plenty and low in the water. When the season is unusually dry, the fish are sure to 
be fat; but in a wet season they are found to be below the average in yield of oil. After the fish 
get here, if their food is plenty, they grow fat very fast. In the past season (1873), in May and 
June, 1,000,000 of fish would make only 800 gallons. In August the yield was from 8 to 10 gal- 
lons per thousand; and in September, 10 to 12.” 
At Greenport, in 1873, the average yield, on Captain Sisson’s estimate, was 8} gallons to the 
thousand; the smallest yield, half a gallon, in spring and late fall; the greatest, 22, in September 
and October; 8,000 fish make 1 ton of green scrap. Hr. Havens puts the lowest yield at 1 quart 
to the barrel; the highest at 4 gallons, an estimate much below Captain Sisson’s, which would 
make over 6 gallons to the barrel. 
Hawkins Bros. estimate the lowest yield at 1 gallon to the barrel in midsummer, and 44 in 
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