522 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 
sarily follow, many of the smaller firms must go under, margins of profit will be reduced to a min- 
imum, while the investment of capital under an accumulation of stock will involve much risk. As 
a result of this condition the standard of excellence will be lowered and many worthless goods will 
be placed upon the market at a low figure, and it will become simply a question as to the brands 
of one cannery or another.” The above view of the situation is perhaps a trifle overdrawn, but it 
is still quite certain that the time has arrived when something must be done to increase the 
demand for the home production. 
That the people of the United States have consumed large quantities of sardines and ancho- 
vies yearly for many years is clearly shown by the following table, kindly furnished by Mr. C. W. 
Smiley, under whose direction it has been compiled from the annual reports of the Bureau of 
Statistics: 
Table showing the yearly importations of sardines and anchovies from 1858 to 1880. 
For the year endin, Value of Sine ce For the year ending Value of Pedy achat 
hore aie Yea pease from all other Total value. June 30— eee proses from all other Total value. 
‘| countries. ‘| countries. 
DOSS sainasineeeieeiticcnjeietieaecre $273, 109 $1, 028 $274,137 || 1872....---- 222 ee eee eee eee $252, 612 $370, 923 $623, 585 
DOGO sce aes xed nes:sicromaizcigsieye 245, 090 6, 188 251, 278 617, 359 555, 345 1,172, 704 
T8605. isis esas aeincn 5 sie Senne 293, 434 6, 245 299, 679 864, 052 126, 978 991, 030 
WO livceses sateeescsoxeaysesie 222, 757 3, 867 226, 624 445, 022 81, 157 526, 179 
WSG2 i cvicsccasccsiccecetcict ee 170, 594 15, 823 186, 417 498, 864 97, 037 595, 901 
ARGS) :2 se asices sists Seca cwoas 368, 745 14, 478 383, 223 685, 164 88, 167 773, 331 
BGA esc rccessaseacesne ease 472, 122 31, 957 604, 079 587, 834 90, 076 677, 910 
W865 ccisic csencmmsananersiatasis 257, 497 9, 955 267, 452 796, 706 115, 685 912,391 
1866) ccitcocdiamereeseassescs 744, 439 193, 481 937, 920 786, 890 315, 520 1, 102, 410 
WOT enwesassceusssenesesan ys 454, 149 24, 470 478, 619 Total vec elseeesckice 9, 487, 016 2, 169, 510 1, 656, 526 
AQOSR i snccairciissmne teers aa es 450, 577 21, 130 471, 707 
* Kinds and quantities of fish not given from 1869 to 1871. 
From this table it will be seen that the United States imported from 1858 to 1880 $11,656,526 
worth of sardines and anchovies exclusive of those received between 1869 and 1871, of which we 
have no record. Itis further noticeable that though the quantity has varied considerably from 
year to year yet it has gradually increased; the value of those received during the year ending June 
30, 1880, being considerably greater than that of the goods put up in this country during the same 
period. Even if we place the total products of the American canneries for the entire season of 
1880 against those imported for the year ending June 30, it will be seen that the imported goods 
exceed those of home manufacture by $284,756. It will be further seen that of the entire importa- 
tion of sardines and anchovies during the period covered by the above table, over 81 per cent. came 
directly from France, and without doubt a considerable portion of the remainder were put up in 
France and sold to other countries, which, in turn, sent them to America. If we consider only the 
sardines put up in oil it may be safe to say that over 95 per cent. of the entire quantity are pre- 
pared in France. 
RELATIVE MERITS OF THE DIFFERENT SPECIES FOR CANNING PURPOSES.—It is often claimed 
that the American manufacturers are imposing on the people by putting up the common herring 
under the name of sardines, and that they are concealing the fact by using French labels. It is 
true that the fish commonly used in France are not the same as those used by Americans, but 
the two species are closely related to each other, and though they differ in many points, each 
having a flavor peculiar to itself, we are by no means willing to give the preference to the foreign 
fish. The mere fact that the French were the first to utilize small fish for this purpose, and that 
